New Jersey football coach sues school over team prayers.

A high school football coach has sued a New Jersey school district after officials told him to stop praying with his players.

In October, Marcus Borden, coach of the East Brunswick High School football team, resigned after the school superintendent told him to stop praying with his team. Families in the district had complained to Superintendent Jo Ann Magistro about Borden's practice of participating in prayer before football games.

After retaining a lawyer, Borden asked for his job back promising not to pray with students. Borden's attorney advised him that he needed to remain an employee of the school if he wanted to have standing to challenge district officials.

The district allowed Borden to return to coaching and teaching. In a lawsuit filed in state court on Nov. 21, Borden asked the court to rule on whether he can silently bow his head during pregame team prayers, reported the Religion News Service.

The school board's attorney said the district acted properly, citing federal court precedent that prohibits organized prayer in the public schools. Martin Pachman said he had not read Borden's suit, but that the district had acted in accordance with federal law.

"If they want to change the law, they can try to do that," said Pachman, "but I wish they would do it on someone else's time."