Deion Sanders attacked by anti-religion group for Colorado team chaplain – legal expert says he can have one

Colorado shot coach and NFL Hall of Famer Deion Sanders came nether occurrence by an anti-religion group, nan Freedom From Religion Foundation (FFRF), complete his usage of a squad chaplain. Sanders had Pastor Dewey Smith believe complete nan shot squad aft its triumph against Baylor University connected Sept. 22.

The FFRF released a scathing four-page letter condemning Sanders, making claims that having Smith do nan dream counted arsenic "unconstitutional belief activities," arsenic he leads a shot squad astatine a nationalist university. 

"Coach Sanders’ squad is afloat of young and impressionable student athletes who would not consequence giving up their scholarship, giving up playing time, aliases losing a bully proposal from nan coach by speaking retired aliases voluntarily opting retired of his unconstitutional belief activities – moreover if they powerfully disagree pinch his beliefs," nan missive read. 

"Coaches exert awesome power and powerfulness complete student athletes and those athletes will travel nan lead of their coach. Using a coaching position to beforehand Christianity amounts to unconstitutional belief coercion."

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Colorado Buffaloes caput coach Deion Sanders earlier nan crippled against nan North Dakota State Bison astatine Folsom Field. (Ron Chenoy-USA Today Sports)

It isn't nan first clip nan FFRF has targeted Sanders for his displays of honoring and practicing Christianity. 

When Sanders first became nan caput coach astatine Colorado successful 2023, nan FFRF raised concerns astir his erstwhile unfastened show of religion pinch his team. This resulted successful nan assemblage giving him further training connected nan boundaries of belief look successful nationalist institutions. The assemblage revealed successful a connection that Sanders had received training connected nondiscrimination policies and constitution clause requirements aft his hiring. 

But this time, an statement has stepped successful to take sides Sanders. The First Liberty Institute has issued a consequence to nan FFRF's letter, arguing that Sanders has nan ineligible correct to bring dream into his team's locker room. 

Keisha Russell, a law lawyer pinch First Liberty Institute who has worked arsenic a national rule clerk connected nan Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals, told Fox News Digital that location is ineligible precedence for why Sanders has nan correct to bring a chaplain into nan team's locker room. 

"FFRF's missive is beyond inaccurate," Russell said. "The cases that we do person astir chaplains programs and nan authorities providing chaplains successful nationalist life, location are a batch of cases astir it, and it's intelligibly allowed." 

While location person been nary Supreme Court cases that focused specifically connected a chaplain successful a nationalist schoolhouse shot locker room, Russell believes that if Sanders' lawsuit was elevated to that level, he would triumph easily, pinch grounds from a erstwhile case.

In June 2022, nan Supreme Court sided pinch Bremerton High School shot coach Joe Kennedy aft he was suspended and later fired because he prayed a brief, quiet dream aft shot games. First Liberty Institute revenge a suit against nan schoolhouse district, arguing that banning coaches from softly praying, conscionable because they tin beryllium seen by nan public, is incorrect and violates nan Constitution. On Sept. 1, 2023, Coach Kennedy returned to nan section and knelt successful dream aft nan game.

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Colorado caput coach Deion Sanders earlier nan North Dakota State game, Aug. 29, 2024, successful Boulder. (AP Photo/Jack Dempsey)

"If you harvester that pinch what nan Supreme Court has precocious said astir belief and students, and peculiarly nan past coach Kennedy case, I deliberation it's beautiful clear that these students are aged capable to benignant of differentiate for themselves what they want to do successful that situation, and I don't deliberation there's thing incorrect pinch their coach inviting 1 successful for inspiration," Russell said. "The believe is decidedly constitutional, and it's highly apt that they would uphold this believe arsenic due nether nan First Amendment." 

Sanders has said he devoted himself to Christianity soon aft his first divorcement successful 1998, from his ex-wife Carolyn Chambers, pinch whom he had his first 2 children, Deion Jr. and Deiondre. Sanders opened up astir his devotion to Christ during an question and reply connected "Running Wild" pinch Bear Grylls successful November 2023.

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Coach Deion Sanders points to nan scoreboard from nan sideline against CSU successful nan Rocky Mountain Showdown astatine Canvas Stadium connected Sept. 14, 2024, successful Fort Collins, Colorado. (Cris Tiller/USA Today Network via Imagn Images)

"That's erstwhile I went done my first divorcement successful which nan only things that I knew that genuinely loved maine were my 2 kids. Now they're gone, now they've been taken away. It was devastating, and I went done suicidal thoughts, a suicidal period," Sander said. "I ran this car disconnected nan broadside of nan highway, and astatine nan bottom, I thought this car would conscionable flip, and it didn't flip, and I was still there. Shortly aft that, I conscionable had to travel to nan Lord pinch my hands up and say, 'I'm done. I can't do it anymore. You sewage me. I springiness up. God, you return me.'"

During an introductory property convention past twelvemonth commemorating his position arsenic caller caput astatine UC, Sanders praised God.

"Out of each nan persons successful nan world, God chose me," Sanders said. "For that, I convey Him; for that, I emotion Him; for that, I magnify Him; for that, I glorify Him; for that, I praise Him; for that, I beryllium Him. Each and each day, I'm trying to please Him," 

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