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Due to his role in the baptism of 20 kids, a high school football coach was sacked.
Last month, a video of a few youngsters being baptized after a game was shared on the Tattnall County Football Facebook page.
According to reports, coach Isaac Ferrell prepared the religious ritual, in which Pastor Gary Few dunks the lads into a big trough.
The October 24 post said: “Coach Ferrell offered the men the chance to get baptized by Pastor Few yesterday after practice. Twenty young guys choose to follow Christ and go #ALLIN! Be supportive of them.
The Freedom from Religion Foundation (FFRF), a local organization, called the gathering “unconstitutional,” sparking a great deal of controversy.
The charity said on its website, “The Freedom From Religion Foundation is calling out the Tattnall County High School football coach for abusing his position to baptize players.”
The statement continued: “Student athletes are particularly vulnerable to coercion because they are aware that their coaches have direct influence over their playing time and positions, which has a direct impact on their chances of being recruited and receiving college scholarships.
“When coaches invite a pastor to repeatedly preach to student athletes and try to convince those students to be baptized, the students will no doubt feel that participating in these religious activities is essential to pleasing their coaches and being viewed as a team player.”
According to FFRF, it is ‘unrealistic and unlawful’ to force kids to have their fundamental rights ‘violated’ in order to maintain the favor of their classmates and coaches.
The school was instructed to look into the matter by the foundation.
Ferrell reportedly lost his job as coach after that, although Superintendent Kristen Waters has said that the baptizm had nothing to do with his dismissal.
In a statement to WSAV, Waters said, “The District decided that it would seek a Head football coach that aligned with the best interests of the students based on the outcome of an investigation into an incident that occurred Friday night, Nov. 3 while traveling after the football game.”
The investigation into the baptisms is still ongoing, Waters continued.
She continued: “As to any other allegations, the District does not comment during ongoing investigations.”
Ferrell is still working for the district as a teacher even though he was sacked as the high school’s head football coach.
