University of Tennessee still kicks off with prayer
“Public universities should respect, not squelch, the religious traditions of students. We applaud the University of Tennessee for continuing prayers at events, including football games. Federal courts have repeatedly recognized that the Establishment Clause does not require universities to purge their events of all things religious. The chancellor was right to align with the 6th Circuit which recognized that ‘[t]he people of the United States did not adopt the Bill of Rights to strip the public square of every last shred of public piety.’”
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ABOUT Travis C. Barham
Travis C. Barham serves as senior counsel for Alliance Defending Freedom, where he plays a key role with the ADF Center for Academic Freedom. He focuses his legal efforts on preserving and reclaiming religious freedom, freedom of speech, and freedom of association for students and faculty at universities throughout the country. His work has been instrumental in securing several strategic appellate court victories, including a public university free speech victory at the U.S. Supreme Court in 2021. Barham earned his Juris Doctor from Washington and Lee University School of Law in 2006, where he graduated summa cum laude. Barham is a member of the bars of Georgia and Arizona. He is also admitted to practice before multiple federal district and appellate courts, including the U.S. Supreme Court.