Supreme court sides with high school coach who led on-field prayers

Ruling expands religious rights of government employees in latest of decisions taking a broad view of religious liberty

The US supreme court's conservative majority on Monday sided with a former public high-school football coach who lost his job for praying with players at the 50-yard line after games.

The 6-3 ruling, with the court's liberals in dissent, represented a victory for Christian conservative activists seeking to expand the role of prayer and religion in public schools. In its decision, the court ruled that the school district had violated the constitutional rights of the coach, Joseph Kennedy, when it suspended his employment after he refused to stop praying on the field.