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Falcons' starting QB post is Michael Penix Jr's to lose amid Tua Tagovailoa's struggles: report
Tua Tagovailoa’s next chapter in the NFL isn’t going well at all, so much so that the Atlanta Falcons may have to rush Michael Penix Jr. back faster than they hoped.
When Tagovailoa joined the Falcons after being released by the Miami Dolphins ahead of this season, the team reportedly hoped he would play well enough in new head coach Kevin Stefanski’s offense that it would be comfortable starting the season with the veteran left-hander while Penix, coming off an ACL injury, had more time to recover.
However, ESPN/NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport is reporting that the Falcons’ starting job is for Penix to lose at this point following Tagovailoa’s inconsistent play in training camp and the first preseason game.
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"It really seemed that the goal of the entire organization was to have Tua be the starting quarterback right away to start the season," Rapoport said. "Let Michael Penix come along slow. …Really you’d like him to be inactive for the first several games and really just take his time and make sure he’s fully healthy."
Tagovailoa has not set himself apart from the pack in terms of performance at camp, and he went 3-of-5 for 22 yards in the first preseason game against the Denver Broncos before Stefanski moved on to Jack Strand and Cooper Rush at quarterback for the rest of the contest.
"Tua’s play made that impossible, not just in the preseason game, which we’ve seen, but it sounds like practice as well. All of which is to say, this is Michael Penix’s job for the taking," Rapoport continued.
SEAN PAYTON TAKES VICIOUS SHOT AT FALCONS HOME CROWD AFTER HUMILIATING FIRST HALF
In an ideal world, the Falcons hoped a fresh start for Tagovailoa would’ve been just what he needed for a heated training camp competition for the team’s starting job. Instead, with Penix getting back into the fold this week and splitting first-team reps, it appears they’re now hoping he can feel confident and, more importantly, be healthy enough to face the Pittsburgh Steelers in Week 1.
"Everything we do around this building is competing," Stefanski said. "I know it’s easy to say, ‘position battles,’ and those types of things, but we’re constantly competing. That’s not the focus for our guys. Our guys are pushing each other by showing up and putting in the work."
Then again, perhaps Tagovailoa’s play in the final preseason game against his former Dolphins squad can boost his confidence and chances at the starting job this Friday.
It’s not looking too good for him now, though, as Stefanski and his staff have an important decision to make before that Sept. 13 kickoff on the road in Pittsburgh.
Timberwolves’ LaMelo Ball hires driver following reckless driving incidents in Charlotte, brother Lonzo says
LaMelo Ball’s extensive car collection has drawn attention since his rise to basketball stardom. But the Minnesota Timberwolves guard has now decided to employ a personal driver to help him get around his new NBA home, according to his older brother, Lonzo Ball.
During a recent edition of the "Curious Mike" podcast, Lonzo Ball pointed to his younger brother while discussing which member of the Ball family spends the most money with Brooklyn Nets forward Michael Porter Jr.
"Who in your family out of y'all three spends the most [money]," Porter asked.
"The one who has the most, LaMelo," Lonzo replied.
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"[He's] got 10 cars," Lonzo continued. Having a driver could mean the 25-year-old spends less time behind the wheel and, in turn, has fewer opportunities to be involved in an accident.
Lonzo also suggested LaMelo could benefit from choosing vehicles outside the exotic-car category, rather than Lamborghinis and similar high-performance models he has owned in the past.
LAMELO BALL'S CUSTOM HUMMER LOSES WHEEL IN CHARLOTTE CRASH DURING ALL-STAR BREAK
"He'll buy a $1 million car and then just immediately f–k it up, I've never understood [that]," Lonzo added in reference to his sibling's habits when it comes to vehicles. "You just bought that? And then you ripped it up? You could've just got a beater," the former Los Angeles Lakers guard noted.
Lonzo then addressed the perception surrounding the frequency of LaMelo’s road incidents, saying his younger brother "doesn’t get into accidents, but he has a lot of situations on the road."
The Lakers selected Lonzo Ball with the second overall pick in the 2017 NBA Draft. He later played for the New Orleans Pelicans and Chicago Bulls before joining the Cleveland Cavaliers in 2025. The Cavaliers traded him to the Utah Jazz in February 2026, but the Jazz subsequently waived him before he appeared in a game for the team.
Lonzo's NBA career has been marked by injuries. After appearing in 35 games during the 2021-22 season, he spent more than two calendar years sidelined.
"It was like a 1,000 and something days," Ball said, reflecting on the length of his absence. He added that he has come to terms with the possibility that he may not return to the same level he once reached as an athlete.
"I came at peace with that when I got hurt the first time. Every time you get hurt it kind of sets you back," Ball told Porter.
The Hornets selected LaMelo with the third overall pick in the 2020 NBA Draft. Charlotte traded the two-time All-Star guard and his teammates Josh Green to the Timberwolves in June for Naz Reid and multiple draft picks.
Timberwolves’ LaMelo Ball hires driver following reckless driving incidents in Charlotte, brother Lonzo says
LaMelo Ball’s extensive car collection has drawn attention since his rise to basketball stardom. But the Minnesota Timberwolves guard has now decided to employ a personal driver to help him get around his new NBA home, according to his older brother, Lonzo Ball.
During a recent edition of the "Curious Mike" podcast, Lonzo Ball pointed to his younger brother while discussing which member of the Ball family spends the most money with Brooklyn Nets forward Michael Porter Jr.
"Who in your family out of y'all three spends the most [money]," Porter asked.
"The one who has the most, LaMelo," Lonzo replied.
CLICK HERE FOR MORE SPORTS COVERAGE ON FOXNEWS.COM
"[He's] got 10 cars," Lonzo continued. Having a driver could mean the 25-year-old spends less time behind the wheel and, in turn, has fewer opportunities to be involved in an accident.
Lonzo also suggested LaMelo could benefit from choosing vehicles outside the exotic-car category, rather than Lamborghinis and similar high-performance models he has owned in the past.
LAMELO BALL'S CUSTOM HUMMER LOSES WHEEL IN CHARLOTTE CRASH DURING ALL-STAR BREAK
"He'll buy a $1 million car and then just immediately f–k it up, I've never understood [that]," Lonzo added in reference to his sibling's habits when it comes to vehicles. "You just bought that? And then you ripped it up? You could've just got a beater," the former Los Angeles Lakers guard noted.
Lonzo then addressed the perception surrounding the frequency of LaMelo’s road incidents, saying his younger brother "doesn’t get into accidents, but he has a lot of situations on the road."
The Lakers selected Lonzo Ball with the second overall pick in the 2017 NBA Draft. He later played for the New Orleans Pelicans and Chicago Bulls before joining the Cleveland Cavaliers in 2025. The Cavaliers traded him to the Utah Jazz in February 2026, but the Jazz subsequently waived him before he appeared in a game for the team.
Lonzo's NBA career has been marked by injuries. After appearing in 35 games during the 2021-22 season, he spent more than two calendar years sidelined.
"It was like a 1,000 and something days," Ball said, reflecting on the length of his absence. He added that he has come to terms with the possibility that he may not return to the same level he once reached as an athlete.
"I came at peace with that when I got hurt the first time. Every time you get hurt it kind of sets you back," Ball told Porter.
The Hornets selected LaMelo with the third overall pick in the 2020 NBA Draft. Charlotte traded the two-time All-Star guard and his teammates Josh Green to the Timberwolves in June for Naz Reid and multiple draft picks.
Trump endorsement boosts sister of late Lindsey Graham to historic runoff victory
A powerful name and an endorsement from President Donald Trump proved more than enough to score an unlikely candidate a win in the latest runoff election in South Carolina.
Sen. Darline Graham, R-S.C., toppled Rep. Ralph Norman, R-S.C., in a whirlwind race to replace her brother, the late Sen. Lindsey Graham, as the GOP nominee for the Senate after his sudden death in July.
Just a little over a month after his death at 71 years old, South Carolinians opted to stick with a familiar name in Graham, who despite having little political experience prior to her appointment to finish out the remainder of her brother’s term, scored Trump’s coveted endorsement.
DARLINE GRAHAM FACES MAKE-OR-BREAK GOP RUNOFF IN HISTORIC BID TO KEEP BROTHER’S SENATE SEAT
Though her appointment by South Carolina Gov. Henry McMaster was viewed as temporary, Trump pushed her to run beyond the five months left in her brother’s term.
"Darline is somebody I've known for a long time," Trump said during a rally for her in Myrtle Beach last week. "I asked her to do this. I said, ‘Darline, you got to do it,’ because everyone loves her. Everyone respects her."
"So I've known her through Lindsey — I've known her for so long," he continued. "I think Lindsey respected Darline more than any other person he knows, including me."
And Trump sent in last-minute financial reinforcements to help her, following a gaffe during her final debate with Norman when she admitted that she had little knowledge of the strategic importance of Taiwan.
Graham has styled herself as a much different politician than her brother, focused more on domestic issues than foreign.
Trump's mammoth, $400 million campaign war chest through MAGA Inc., which has largely been untapped this cycle despite a handful of Senate races shifting in power dynamics across the country, dumped over $800,000 into a phone campaign in support of Graham over the weekend, according to campaign finance records.
While Graham styled herself as a more home front than abroad focused candidate, she made one thing clear through debates and limited campaign time: a vote for her was a vote for the Trump agenda.
She targeted Norman for bucking House Republican leadership, and, at times, Trump, but noted, "We already have enough problem Democrats, we don’t need a problem Republican."
And though she’s only been in the Senate for a handful of weeks, Graham argued to voters that she’d done more than Norman had in his entire congressional career, touting the passage of the long-awaited bipartisan Russia sanctions package initially pushed by her brother, but at times slowed by the White House.
"I was in Washington for only two weeks before I passed the Russia and Iran Sanctions Act through the Senate," Graham said. "I then passed the deciding vote to confirm President Trump's attorney general, Todd Blanche."
"Simply put, I've done more in 20 days than Ralph Norman has done in 20 years."
Democratic newcomer scores runoff upset in Oklahoma, vows to impeach Trump if elected
A political newcomer just scored a victory in ruby-red Oklahoma, and, if elected, she would put all her energy into impeaching President Donald Trump.
N’Kiyla Jasmine Thomas, a nurse who has never run for office before, bested Jim Priest, a lawyer and nonprofit executive, in the runoff race for the Democratic Senate nomination in Oklahoma. Thomas, though a new face, scored the highest percentage of votes in the June primary contest that featured five total candidates vying for the nomination.
It tees up a battle against history in Oklahoma, where voters haven’t sent a Democrat to the Senate in more than three decades.
And Thomas, who lists a host of policy proposals on her campaign website, including beefing up teacher pay, restoring Roe v. Wade, and expanding Obamacare, among other boilerplate Democratic proposals, also wants to accomplish one thing in the early days of her Senate career: impeaching Trump.
During an interview with NPR affiliate KOSU last month, Thomas was asked about the Republican nominee, Rep. Kevin Hern, R-Okla., and his "fierce" backing of Trump, and how, if elected, she would approach a working relationship with the president.
"Like I said, I'm kind, not nice. So I will make sure that I work as diligently as I can to make sure that within my first 100 days that we impeach, remove and convict," Thomas said. "They will have to pry that pen out of my cold, dead hands before I go any further with allowing this administration to continue doing what they're doing."
DEM SENATE CANDIDATE CALLS TO 'SHUT THE WHITE HOUSE DOWN,' IMPEACH 2 SUPREME COURT JUSTICES
"So, I mean, hopefully that's a good answer," she continued. "But I am going to remove, impeach, remove and convict. That's it. Like that's all. That's the answer."
First, she’d have to survive Election Night in November against Hern, a tall task given that Trump won Oklahoma by nearly 35 points in 2024.
Though Thomas has pulled off two underdog performances, earning roughly 45% of the vote during her first go-round for the Democratic nomination and then defeating Priest with no political experience, Hern is a different matter.
DARLINE GRAHAM FACES MAKE-OR-BREAK GOP RUNOFF IN HISTORIC BID TO KEEP BROTHER’S SENATE SEAT
He’s amassed an impressive campaign war chest that at one point peaked at nearly $10 million so far this cycle. Thomas, however, has raised just shy of $60,000.
He also boasts the endorsement of Trump and has touted his desire to pass the president’s biggest policy priority, the SAVE America Act.
Hern noted in a statement to Fox News Digital that Oklahomans "love President Trump and the America First Agenda."
"Socialist Democrats like N’Kiyla Jasmine Thomas are wildly out of touch with the values of Oklahomans and the direction they want our country moving toward," Hern said. "President Trump and Republicans are focused on delivering results. N’Kiyla Jasmine Thomas and the radical left are focused on partisan politics against a president Oklahomans overwhelmingly elected."
Seattle man allegedly targeted governor after telling hospital of murderous plan: docs
A Seattle man accused of threatening Washington Gov. Bob Ferguson allegedly laid out a deadly plan during a hospital stay — one authorities say put the governor and those around him in danger.
The alleged scheme began to unravel after Nathaniel David Foster, 34, checked himself into Swedish First Hill on July 18, while experiencing suicidal and homicidal thoughts, charging documents reviewed by Fox News Digital state.
During an evaluation, Foster allegedly told a hospital caseworker he planned to head to Olympia and harm Ferguson. The caseworker alerted police, bringing Seattle officers and Washington State Patrol detectives into the case.
FLORIDA MAN ARRESTED FOR ALLEGEDLY THREATENING TO KILL TRUMP, RUBIO AND BONDI
What Foster allegedly told them went far beyond a vague threat.
Foster allegedly described taking public transit to Olympia, then lurking near the governor’s mansion to watch where guards were positioned and when they changed shifts or took breaks. From there, authorities say, he planned to find a weak point in security and force his way inside.
ARMED MAN ARRESTED AT US CAPITOL BARRICADE AS POLICE PROBE WHY HE DROVE ONTO RESTRICTED GROUNDS
Foster allegedly said he was willing to hurt or kill anyone standing between him and the governor, the documents state.
Prosecutors say Foster believed attacking Ferguson would draw attention to grievances he had over his treatment while incarcerated at a Spokane correctional facility.
He allegedly told investigators he would do "what he has to do" to get the result he wanted.
FEMALE INMATE SUES WASHINGTON STATE AFTER ALLEGED ATTACK BY MALE-BORN PRISONER IN WOMEN'S FACILITY
Foster is charged in King County Superior Court with threatening to kill Ferguson. Prosecutors have asked a judge to set his bail at $50,000 and bar him from contacting the governor, arguing he poses a danger to the public.
The case also comes with a troubling history.
Court filings list Foster’s prior convictions for second-degree robbery in 2008, third-degree assault in 2009 and third-degree malicious mischief in 2023.
Then, in 2025, he was accused of stabbing a Ralph’s Thriftway employee in the face in Olympia after being greeted, according to the probable-cause declaration.
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Authorities wrote that Foster said "voices in his head" told him to carry out the alleged attack and that he wanted to kill police officers and politicians.
That case was later dismissed after Foster was found not competent to stand trial, according to court records cited in the documents.
The bail filing also lists several other cases dismissed because of competency concerns, including 2025 charges of custodial assault and second-degree assault.
Foster failed to appear for an Aug. 17 arraignment, leading a judge to confirm a bench warrant, court minutes show. He was later booked into the King County Jail on a separate third-degree malicious mischief allegation.
Fox News Digital reached out to Ferguson’s office for comment.
If you or someone you know is having thoughts of suicide, contact the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 988.
Daughter of late House Dem loses runoff bid to finish father's term
Marcye Scott, the daughter of late Rep. David Scott, D-Ga., fell short Tuesday in her bid to succeed her father in Congress for the final few months of his term, despite leading the first-round of voting last month.
Former teacher and Gwinnett County school board chairman Everton Blair defeated Scott in the special election runoff for the remainder of David Scott's term in Georgia’s heavily Democratic 13th Congressional District, which covers parts of metro Atlanta. Blair will hold the seat only through early January, when the winner of November’s regularly scheduled general election takes office.
Blair also ran in the primary to compete for a full-term, but lost to Democratic Georgia state representative Jasmine Clark in the primary earlier this year. Clark will battle Republican Jonathan Chavez in November for the seat, the official term for which will start in January 2027.
David Scott represented the district for more than two decades before dying April 22 at age 80. At the time of his death, he was seeking a 13th term and facing a competitive Democratic primary challenge from Clark and others.
In 2024, he carried the district with roughly 72% of the vote, while then-Vice President Kamala Harris won about 71% there in the presidential race, compared with roughly 28% for President Donald Trump.
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Marcye Scott entered Tuesday’s runoff after leading the July 28 special election with roughly 46% of the vote, compared with about 38% for Blair, but fell short of the majority required to win outright, leading to the runoff against Blair.
Blair's victory would restore voting representation to Georgia’s heavily Democratic 13th District and add another Democratic vote to the narrowly divided House for the final months of the 119th Congress. Georgia’s 13th District has been without voting representation since David Scott’s death, although his former congressional offices have remained open under the supervision of the House clerk to provide constituent services, according to the Office of the Clerk of the U.S. House of Representatives.
According to his campaign's website, Blair earned graduate degrees from Stanford and Harvard, previously worked with the Obama administration’s White House Initiative on Educational Excellence and, in 2018, was the first Black and youngest-ever member elected to his county's school board.
Haters of fashion attack Aryna Sabalenka with 'streetwalker' insult simply because she wore fishnet at US Open
Good luck being a leader and trying something new, especially when it comes to fashion. I've said it before, I'm not an expert nor will I pretend to be one. That doesn’t mean there aren't others more than willing to pretend.
There are, and they've set their sights on Aryna Sabalenka. She dared to show up to the US Open in what haters of fashion have labeled a fishnet dress. The adults out there may refer to it, correctly, as a mesh dress.
I’d like to take a moment to thank Dua Lipa for several lessons in fashion, lessons that, let the record show, I retained despite being reluctantly dragged into them.
It made it easier to spot what unfolded at Arthur Ashe Stadium. Sabalenka was on the court with her mixed doubles partner Novak Djokovic taking on Kateřina Siniaková and Henry Patten.
She and Djokovic ended up losing the match. While dealing with the top-ranked in mixed doubles, the self-appointed fashion experts went on the attack. Who knew a little mesh would cause such a reaction?
"How about that - Sabalenka leading the parade of streetwalker chic at the US Open with fishnet over shorts and a sports bra," one of the critics wrote. "Why does New York bring out all the trashy-ness?"
"Sabalenka ’s maximalist jewellery with those multicoloured stones set in gold clashes badly with her US open kit. Looks a mess imo," said another.
One called it a "clown kit" and wrote in disbelief, "this sabalenka clown kit can’t be actually real."
These attacks on her fashion didn’t catch Aryna Sabalenka by surprise. She knew they were coming. She was prepared for it after rolling out the new Nike looks a few weeks ago.
"I love my outfit. If someone doesn't like it, it's okay. You cannot impress everyone with your outfits," she said earlier this month. "That's why I like fashion because there is room for whatever, basically."
Take that, haters. Nice try. A mesh dress on top of shorts and a sports bra doesn't help you win your match. It also doesn't make you the leader of an imaginary "parade of streetwalker chic" either.
I can't believe that had to be pointed out and that I had to be the one to do it. Yet here we are.
IndyCar's Freedom 250 Grand Prix spectacle in Washington, DC draws massive TV ratings
Race fans turned out in droves to check out the NTT IndyCar Series' Freedom 250 Grand Prix around the streets of Washington, DC, and a whole lot more were watching at home.
How many?
Well, enough to make it the most-watched non-Indianapolis 500 race the Series has seen since the Champ Car and IRL merger in 2008.
FOX Sports reports that 3.282 million viewers tuned in to see open-wheel racing around some of the most iconic landmarks the nation's capital has to offer.
That figure is a staggering 279% over the average for non-Indy 500 races on Sundays.
ZERO BS. JUST DAKICH. TAKE THE DON’T @ ME PODCAST ON THE ROAD. DOWNLOAD NOW!
It also brings the IndyCar season average up to 1.875 million viewers, a 32% increase over last season, and a 70% jump over 2024, when the series was broadcast on NBC and Peacock.
Clearly, the spectacle of celebrating 250 years of the United States of America with an IndyCar race around the National Mall worked.
Of course, it helped that it was an entertaining race.
Jupiter, Florida native Kyle Kirkwood was the man to beat in his No. 27 Andretti Global Honda almost all weekend, and would've maximized his points haul had it not been for a Turn 1 moment on his final lap of qualifying. Still, his pace was virtually unmatched, and he took the lead from Chip Ganassi Racing's Alex Palou on the opening lap.
INDYCAR DRIVERS DAVID MALUKAS, STING RAY ROBB INVOLVED IN SCARY CRASH IN FREEDOM 250 GRAND PRIX
While Kirkwood maintained control the entire race, some late restarts saw him having to fend off some pressure from Team Penske's Scott McLaughlin and Arrow McLaren's Christian Lundgaard.
It'll be interesting to see if the series' momentum continues as it moves on to a doubleheader weekend at the Milwaukee Mile.
Thanks to that win and a rough race for championship leader Alex Palou, we've got a title battle shaping up through the final three races of the season.
After the two oval races in Milwaukee, the 2026 IndyCar series will wrap up with a road course race at WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca.
All three of these races will air on FOX.
California school district sued over field trip to mosque where students allegedly donned Muslim garb
A group of multi-faith parents has filed a joint lawsuit against Palo Alto Unified School District in California and Palo Alto High School's principal Brent Kline over a field trip to a local mosque last year.
According to the August 7 lawsuit, as part of the school's Social Justice Pathway curriculum, students took a tour of a mosque hosted by the Muslim Community Association and took part in several religious activities and were allegedly encouraged to don religious garb without parental consent.
"During the Fall 2025 mosque visit, students who were minors allegedly were provided with Muslim religious attire and encouraged to wear it while on site," the complaint read. "During that visit, students allegedly were provided with Qurans and taught that Islam, in particular, promotes social justice."
TEXAS TEEN TELLS CONGRESS HE RECEIVED DEATH THREATS AFTER REVEALING ISLAMIC BOOTH AT HIGH SCHOOL
"The field-trip activities allegedly included observation of a Dhuhr prayer, discussion of the meaning of worship, and engagement with participants in the Noor Hifz Academy, the host institution’s religious youth program in which Islamic students memorize the Quran," the complaint continued. "Female students were provided hijabs to wear and that all students were gifted Qurans to take home for personal use."
The lawsuit, which was filed by a group of Jewish, Hindu and Zoroastrian parents, also claimed that students spoke to Zahra Billoo, the executive director of the Bay Area office of the Council on American-Islamic Relations, who has come under controversy for making allegedly antisemitic statements in the past.
In a comment to Fox News Digital, David Rosenberg-Wohl, who is representing the parents, said that the issue at hand is a public school like Palo Alto High School specifically promoting Islam in its Social Justice Pathway curriculum.
"In effect, kids are being told that if they are progressive and interested in social justice, Islam is the faith for them. That is not the business of a public school. It's not an issue of religion v. religion. It's an American one. The separation of church and state is a bedrock issue here," Rosenberg-Wohl said.
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The Muslim Community Association stood by its original statement, saying that the organization was "deeply concerned" over the lawsuit.
"Treating students' exposure to ordinary Muslim faith and practice as inherently coercive or threatening risks reinforcing the very Islamophobia and misunderstanding that that educational engagement should help overcome," the group told Fox News Digital.
Palo Alto Unified Superintendent Jason Glass informed Fox News Digital that he is reviewing the allegations but "will not comment further on pending litigation."
Though some parents were upset by the field trip, some students appeared to defend the outing, suggesting that the grievances were exaggerated.
Student newspaper "The Paly Voice" editor-in-chief Juni Thurston disputed claims that female students were forced to don hijabs and that students were indoctrinated with Islamic beliefs on these trips.
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"The vast majority of the people demonizing the teachers who arranged and chaperoned this field trip simply don’t know them," Thurston wrote in an op-ed for the campus newspaper. "The idea that they would be working to indoctrinate students into Islam, or any religion, is an idea extremely foreign to me as a student who has had them as my teachers for the past two years. But this narrative is nonetheless dominating media coverage of the event."
However, she acknowledged concerns over Billoo's presence on the field trip and agreed that she should not have been part of the experience, though her role was "limited."
In a comment to Fox News Digital, the Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression (FIRE) Vice President of Strategic Initiatives Adam Goldstein said that if students were compelled to don religious garb, this would be in violation of the First Amendment.
"Just as the First Amendment prevents public schools from forcing students to pledge allegiance to the flag, it prevents those schools from compelling them to wear religious attire. If students were required to do that as part of a curricular field trip, it would conflict with the First Amendment's bar on compelled speech," Goldstein said.