A high school football coach in Georgia is under fire and out of a job weeks after a video of 20 athletes getting baptized after practice surfaced. And while the school district insists the coach’s firing is related to a separate incident, many are wondering if religion is the true reason.
Isaac Ferrell, Tattnall County High School’s head coach, is no longer coaching the team, however he still holds his teaching job at the school.
A video shared by the high school football team on October 24 seemingly shows approximately 20 young athletes getting baptized post-practice. The ceremony was led by a Christian pastor.
The video, which has been viewed more than 130,000 times, received dozens of positive comments, but it appears not everyone is happy.
According to WTOC, The Freedom From Religion Foundation issued a complaint on November 6 that the baptisms were not appropriate for a public school setting and violated the students’ First Amendment rights.
Tattnall County Schools Superintendent Kristen Waters confirmed to several local news outlets Ferrell had been relieved of his job as head coach of the football team, but stated it wasn’t due to the baptisms.
“Based on the outcome of an investigation into an incident that occurred Friday night, November 3, while traveling after the football game, the district decided that it would seek a head football coach that aligned with the best interests of the students of Tattnall County for the 2024-2025 school year,” Waters said in a statement.
While we don’t know the specific incident the school district references, it would be too coincidental if Isaac Ferrell was let go just weeks after video of his student-athletes getting baptized after practice went viral.
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