Supreme Court rejects coach’s appeal over prayer, for now

In this Oct. 9, 2018 photo, police office guards the main entrance to the Supreme Court in Washington. The Supreme Court is taking up its first gun rights case in nine years, a challenge to New York City's prohibition on carrying a licensed, locked and unloaded handgun outside the city limits. The court's decision Tuesday to take on the appeal filed by three New York residents and New York's National Rifle Association affiliate could signal a revived interest in gun rights by a more conservative court. The case won't be argued until October.(AP Photo/Pablo Martinez Monsivais)

WASHINGTON, D.C. — The Supreme Court has rejected an appeal from a former Seattle-area football coach who lost his job because he refused to stop praying on the field. But four conservative justices said Tuesday they are interested in former Bremerton High School Coach Joe Kennedy’s case and the legal issues it raises.

Justice Samuel Alito says the high court is right to reject the appeal for now, but says he is troubled by lower courts’ handling of the case. Justices Neil Gorsuch, Brett Kavanaugh and Clarence Thomas joined with Alito.