Auburn Coaching Staff In Trouble for Participating in Faith-Based Event | EWTN News Nightly

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The Auburn University football team has found itself embroiled in off-the-field controversy, not with the law but instead with an anti-religious group claiming the coaching staff violated the Constitution. The Freedom from Religion Foundation, an atheist group, sent a letter to Auburn University President Christopher Roberts stating that Head Coach Hugh Freeze and other members of the coaching staff violated the establishment clause by participating in a worship event on campus. The Unite Auburn event took place at Neville Arena and was funded by private donations. Reports say that 200 people were baptized at the event, one of those a football player by Coach Freeze himself. Senior Counsel at the First Liberty Institute, Jeremy Dys, joins to tell us what the Alabama State Constitution says about these types of religious activities taking place on public property. Dys explains whether there were other complaints or push back from groups on campus or taxpayers in the state of Alabama and why he thinks the Freedom from Religion Foundation is swooping in here. One of the arguments directed back at the Freedom from Religion Foundation is that Hugh Freeze and others were acting in a "private capacity." Dys shares how we can determine public vs private in this sort of context. He discusses whether he thinks the backlash the Unite Auburn event is receiving might cause a chilling effect on people exercising their freedom of religion. ------------ EWTN News Nightly provides the latest news and analysis from a Catholic perspective. Join host Tracy Sabol, our Capitol Hill, White House and Rome Correspondents, as well as many other diverse guests daily, to get the latest from the U.S. and the Vatican on topics regarding our Catholic faith and interests. ------------- EWTN News Nightly airs on EWTN weekdays at 6pm & 9pm ET. ------------ Don't miss an episode of EWTN New Nightly. Get updates here: https://www.ewtn.com/tv/shows/ewtn-news-nightly ------------- Sign up today to receive the EWTN News Nightly newsletter: https://www.ewtn.com/enn ------------- Follow EWTN News Nightly on Social Media: Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ewtnnewsnightly Twitter: https://twitter.com/EWTNNewsNightly Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ewtnnewsnightly/ ------------- Subscribe to EWTN YouTube channel here: https://www.youtube.com/user/EWTN ------------- You can support the EWTN News mission: https://bit.ly/3qDR1qf

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• Faith