PHILADELPHIA — A federal appeals court was asked Oct. 3 to decide whether a New Jersey high school football coach violated the Constitution by taking a knee and bowing his head during pre-game prayers.
Marcus Borden, a longtime coach and Spanish teacher at East Brunswick High School, persuaded a lower court judge last year that his actions did not amount to prayer and did not violate the separation of church and state. Borden, 52, instead described his movements as a secular sign of respect for the team.
The East Brunswick Board of Education appealed the ruling, contending that by taking a knee and bowing his head, Borden was endorsing religion whether he mouthed the words with his players or not.
The appeal has since been taken over by Americans United for Separation of Church and State, a Washington-based group that opposes prayer in schools.
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