Tempe football coach suspended for praying


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TEMPE, Ariz. (AP) — A Tempe school football coach must miss his team's game Friday as part of a punishment for praying with his players.

Tom Brittain is serving the second week of a two-game suspension from his job as coach at Tempe Preparatory Academy.

Headmaster David Baum says Brittain instructed a player to lead the team in prayer after they won a game.

Baum says staff cannot appear to condone religion to students on behalf of the state-funded charter school's behalf.

Some students hung a sign in support of Brittain at the school's homecoming game last week.

Some parents have expressed outrage at Baum's decision. But others say the school is not a religious institution and that Brittain violated school policy.

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