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Summarized by Kent Larsen
ACLU Action Unlikely Against LDS Coach That Gave Blessings
Deseret News 4Apr00 D2
By Amy Donaldson: Deseret News sports writer
SALT LAKE CITY, UTAH -- Mountain View High School girls basketball
coach, Dave Houle, may not have to endure a court case because of
giving LDS blessings of comfort to some of his players. The ACLU says
that it is unlikely to take any action over the issue, which came to
light in a newspaper article during the recently-ended basketball
season.
As reported in Mormon News [see
http://www.mormonstoday.com/000326/D6Houle01.shtml Houle
reportedly gave the blessings in a "private setting" to players that
asked for them. All the players on his team are members of the LDS
Church. A reporter learned of the practice and mentioned it in a
newspaper article, leading to criticism of Houle and several
complaints to the ACLU. The principal of Mountain View High School
has told Houle to discontinue the practice.
"The chances of us doing anything about this is nil," says ACLU
attorney Andrew McCullough. "This is not the ACLU versus the Church
(of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints) . . . I know this is
inappropriate from anybody's viewpoint. If we saw this as a wide
spread practice, then we might (file a lawsuit), But this is clearly
against Church policy, too. If we did anything, it would be to talk
to the Church first and then the school board. Someone pointed it
out, and it got fixed."
But Houle doesn't think he did anything wrong, "I know what I did was
right," he says. " . . . I know how innocent it was." He says that
since the article appeared, the blessings have become a "public
spectacle," but that he still wouldn't change what he did, "If one of
my players asks for a blessing away from school, I'm going to do it,"
he said. "I'm going to practice my religion . . . If anybody asked me
for a blessing, I don't care if it's about a game, or sickness, or
parents having trouble or my daughter, I'm going to give it. Am I
going to do it on school grounds? No. No one can stop me from
practicing my religion. I will stand accountable to my Heavenly
Father. I will not do anything that will embarrass the prophet, the
church or my Heavenly Father."
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