now, i don't challenge the people in bremerton. these are all honorable people who want what's best for bremerton, washington, families. they all care about their kids there, both the superintendent and principal, the coaches, they all care about the kids there. this is a genuine misunderstanding of what our nation protects and what our nation stands for. article 6, clause 3 of the constitution says this -- no religious test shall ever be required as a qualification for any office or public trust under the united states. in our constitution, any individual that serves in any public trust in the united states doesn't have to set their faith aside nor have to take on any faith. in america, you could have a faith and live it or you could have no faith at all. that's the united states of america. in this chamber, every day, including today, the chaplain for the united states senate begins our session in prayer. in this chamber, the words "in god we trust" are written right above the main doors as you walk in. the same as it is in the h

now he tells us he believes the fire started in the basement of bremerton. this morning and witnesses saw the flames shooting from the deli part of the main stretch in the heart of mount vernon and we watched it spread to a pizza place, as well as a cleaners and they are also traveled up toward north avenue and that's where firefighters right now are focusing their efforts. we spoke with one man who lived in the apartments above the deli that collapsed here this morning. he described for us police waking him up, telling him to get out. >> the police came by and told us to come out of the house because there was so much smoke. >> the structure itself collapsed within under an hour of our arrival so we had to pull guys out fairly quickly. >> now the firefighters say that there weren't any injuries. they believe that everybody is accounted for but again, con edison had to turn off the power to some of the buildings including mandella high school which will be closed for classes today but firefighters still out here dousing the hotspots that remain as the fire c

the bremerton school district believes the prayers violate the separation of church and state and could get the district in legal trouble. now, kennedy's lawyer is preparing to file a discrimination lawsuit on his behalf. meanwhile, students and parents have had enough of all the attention being paid to an issue and not the game itself. >> a lot of people aren't thinking about the football game. they are thinking about coach kennedy. i 100% support coach kennedy but i think the media is too much and blown it all out of proportion. >> it all needs to stop. not just the praying but the controversy. let people have freedom of choice what they want to do. >> reporter: this grandfather of a senior player also supported the coach until lawyers got involved. >> i understand what he is doing. and that is his right. but once the school district, if they have a policy, said stop, now the attention has gone away from the kids, especially the seniors. whether they agree or disagree, this is their night, not mr. kennedy's night. >> that was amy clancy of our affiliate kiro in seattle reporting. >>>

when the bremerton knights took the field their assistant coach was benched. joe kennedy watched from the stands like any other fan, but in a way he was the one with >> i'm just a guy standing up for the constitution who happens to believe in god and praise. >> reporter: kennedy was put on administrative leave for praying on the 50 yard line after games, something he's done for years, often joined by players. >> he says if you want to be in here, join me. if not, that's your decision. in here. it's your total decision. >> reporter: but when the school district learned about the prayers last month it ordered kennedy to stop, citing supreme court cases. the district says students can pray on their own, but it is as constitutional violation of students' rights for a district employee, acting as such, to initiate prayers with students. >> you know the warriors, they competed for the past 48 minutes. >> reporter: coach abided at first instead delivering a post-game motivational speech. >> one, two, three. >> reporter: and this month he resumed praying after attorne

. >> reporter: this morning, bremerton high school football coach joe kennedy says hee plansns to put his job o o the line, not because of anything he'll do during tonight's game, but this -- >> amen. >> reporter: the prayer he plans to lead on the 50 yard line after the game, something he says he's done for nine years. >> from there there was -- it started out wit three gs and just started growing from there and every year it's grown a little bit more. >> reporter: a month a the school district says it told the coach to stop writing talks with students may not include religious expression including prayer. and that to do so would violate the law. >> i don't understand howhis could be wrong. m not establishing religion. i'm not preachy with anybidy. >> reporter: the district says students are welcome to pray. it just can't be at the direction of a school employee. >> it's that mutual rpect. this he know where i stand but i've never asked them about theirs because it has no bearing on what we do on the football fifid. >> reportete even so, many o the school's students and even their pa

. >> for nine years running, bremerton high school football coach joe kennedy has been leading his playersame prayers. when he continued that tradition last friday night, he was violating an order from the district that said talks with students may not include religious expression, including prayer. >> i don't want to break the law and i don't want to set a bad example for our kids and i never want to jeopardize the program that we've set up, and the taxpayers end up paying for it if something goes hoarably wrong and they get sued. that's not what coaching staffs are supposed to be doing. >> players and parents support him. >> he could lose his job for what he practices at the end of the game. >> the school district has said it has no plans to fire kennedy, writing in a statement, at this time, mr. kennedy's employment status with the school district remains unchanged. the district continues to hope that the district and mr. kennedy can arrive at common understandings. the conservative liberty institute, a legal defense fund, is backing the coach. in a letter to the school district, it say

joe kennedy is at bremerton high. he delivered an onfield prayer after every game. complaining. the school district has ordered him to stop. administrators are worried that the prayers may give the impression that the district endorses religion. kennedy initially stopped the prayers until this week, when he decided to bring that tradition back again. >> my daughter is one of the cheerleaders here. it's not about the fun of homecoming and dance and everything else. >> the district is now taking action threatening to suspend or fire kennedy. meanwhile, the coaches received the backing of the conservation liberty institute which said he has the first amendment right to do whatever he wants after the game. >>> snoop dogg put on his coach's cap today in san jose. his youth football team faced off against the san jose hip squad. the snoop youth football league aims to provide youth the opportunity to learn the values of character and teamwork through the sport. >>> squad goals. >> look at you. >> you know? >>> there you go. a nice night for football weather out there. the

bremerton lost that night, and i have to wonder has his, has his fight become a distraction for the team? >> absolutely not. i think it was beautiful. i got goose bumps just looking at it. it's a beautiful thing, in my mind. and his prayer is, lord, i thank you for these kids and the blessing you've given me with them. we believe in the game, we believe in competition, and we come into it as rivals and leave as brothers. that's a message. that's learning. that's a learning experience. i mean, you could argue that he was teaching which is, by the way, what coaches really are. it's not about winning and losing, i shouldn't be. it should be about teaching faith, teaching this kind of thing. it's lost in our school system. i stand with him 100%. kennedy: i mean, he's, maybe he's trying to retire early because, you know, his job has been threatened, the aclu is helping the school board. there's a lot of legal action involved. what is the ultimate outcome of this? andrea: i don't know, but i think the aclu has a pretty weak case. i mean, he's not forcing the players to kneel and pray, he's not

look at seattle from our affiliate, q 13 fox, a little rainy there, the big story there tonight, a bremerton high school football coach has been suspended for refusing to stop his practice of praying at games. joe kennedy was put on leave after a group of self-described satanists said they planned to attend tonight's game to protest that practice. coach's lawyers have indicated they may sue the school district. tonight's live look outside the beltway from "special report," we'll be right back after a much shorter-than-usual first commercial break. big day? ah, the usual. moved some new cars. hauled a bunch of steel. kept the supermarket shelves stocked. made sure everyone got their latest gadgets. what's up for the next shift? ah, nothing much. just keeping the lights on. (laugh) nice. doing the big things that move an economy. see you tomorrow, mac. see you tomorrow, sam. just another day at norfolk southern. >>> we told you it would be quick. an international news, china is abolishings its one child to a family policy. the 1979 rule has been watered down over the years. today's decision by

joe kennedy took a knee in prayer after friday's homecoming game for bremerton high school. players on both teams joined in. the district has a ban on staff prayer at school events. kennedy says he's not going to stop. >> me thanking god for what they just did, how that could possibly be wrong in the eyes of society in the courts or anybody. >> i want to see everybody treated the same, and nobody feel left out our excluded. >> the ban does not apply to students. kennedy's attorneys say players are not forced to join in the prayer. >>> we just learned new details on a breaking story, more firefighters are being called to battle this blaze in chelsea right now. take a look at this video of the flames pouring out of the building. now we're gathering details and also will bring you up to date at 5 a.m. >> also at 5, we now know the cause of death for the long e ford dealers thank you for helping protect our children. >>> 4:55. welcome back, country singer blake shelton is suing a tabloid for defamation over a cover story alleging he's a heavy drinker who's headed to rehab. shelt

. >> reporter: when the bremerton knights took the field, their assistant coach was benched.ands like any other fan, but in a way, he was the one with fans. >> i'm just a guy standing up for the constitution, who happens to believe in god and prays. >> kennedy was put on administrative leave for praying on the 50 yard line after games. something he's done for years. >> he said if you want to be in here, join me. if not, it's your decision. i'm not going to force you to be in here. it's your total decision. >> but when the school district learned about the prayers last month, it ordered kennedy to stop, citing supreme court cases the district says students can pray on their own, but it's a constitutional violation of students' rights for a district employee acting as uch is to initiate prayers with students. >> these are the warriors that competed for the past 48 minutes. >> reporter: the coach abided at first and delivered a postgame motivational speech. but this month, he resumed praying after attorneys from a religious legal group told him it's okay as long as he's not coer

. >> reporter: bremerton school officials say this is the problem. praying on the field in front of students after a high school football game. the conservative liberty institute asked the district for a religious accommodation, but that was denied. now kennedy's lawyers are prepared to sue. >> the ball is in their court, in the school district's court. they have the opportunity to make this right, to do the right thing, to follow the law. >> reporter: but the district says the law is clear. officials believe kennedy's public prayers could violate federal law that separates church and state. some officials worry it leaves the district open to lawsuits. the superintendent told kennedy in a three-page letter that his prayers, quote, must not interfere with the performance of his job and must not lead to a perception of district endorsement of religion. and, quote, any further violations will be grounds for discipline, up to and including discharge from district employment. the superintendent's letter also said kennedy could pray at a private location o

the bremerton school district just sent joe kennedy, the coach, a letter relieving him of his dutiesonstrative religious conduct. kennedy's lawyers are considering legal action. we'll keep you posted. >>> and former nfl players meeting at a marijuana expo to show their support for pot in pro sports. many claim smoking marijuana helps ease the pain from playing. and allowing it could help combat the current addiction many players have to pain pills. >>> okay. that's the news. >> thank you, steve. well, the new york city st. patrick's day parade is trying to push st. patrick out. i know. the parade committee will consider a notion to oust the patron saint, if you can believe it, a group has started a petition in hopes of preserving their irish catholic heritage. joining us now is father john sheahan, a proud irishman himself who served as chaplain for several groups involved in the parade, and hient the petition to stop these changes. father, thank you for being with us today. >> thank you for having me. >> here at "fox & friends." you know, this is something that i think just plainly

he is a coach for a number of years out in on the west coast -- >> bremerton high school in washington exactly. and there he is right there. and what he has been doing for the last number of years is at a couple of points he walked over to the 50 yard line, and he prays. you know what? the team has historically gone over to him. he was told to lay off. last friday, he didn't. you know what happened? the other team came over, they bowed their heads. well this was a topic over on "the view" yesterday. somebody liked it. somebody did not. try to guess who. >> if separation of church and state does not mean that we cannot pray publicly. it actually guarantees our free exercise of religion. so that if it voluntary, we are allowed to pray wherever we would like to. that is -- >> why did they take prayer out of the beginning of school and now its just silence to recognize the other types -- >> lauren, i don't know and i wish -- >> that's not fair to somebody who doesn't pray. i shouldn't have to pray -- >> but you don't have to. you can always walk out of the room -- >> if people would -- >>

kennedy plans to pray after tomorrow night's home coming game, no matter what the bremerton school districtm up there along with the deputy chief council of litigation for the liberty institute. guys, good morning to you. >> good morning. >> good morning. thanks for having us. >> so, joe, i understand a number of years ago, you started after the game, you would just walk to the 50, all by yourself, and you started praying and after a couple of games, some of the players realize what you're doing and they joined you. and what has it become since then? >> it's actually become quite a interesting thing. it's really incredible to see that the whole entire team coming out there, and you know, joining us, just voluntarily wanting to join everybody out there, and then it spread through -- from there to the other teams, and now everybody in the league, we've had the opposing teams, doesn't matter if it's a home or away game, they have joined us out on the 50. >> oh, that's great. >> for the whole thing. >> sure. all right. well, now your boss, the school district up there, has told you to stop it.