CLEMSON, South Carolina — The top Democrat in the South Carolina House has called on Alabama native and current Clemson University head football coach Dabo Swinney to cancel his appearance at a fundraiser for the Palmetto Family Council, because the 501c3 non-profit opposes same-sex marriage and abortion.
“I find it highly inappropriate that Coach Swinney would appear at a fundraiser for an organization that is so openly discriminatory and politically motivated,” said Democrat House Minority Leader Todd Rutherford. “I cannot fathom why Coach Swinney or anyone else would knowingly assist a group whose mission is to fight against equal rights and equal treatment of others.”
Oran Smith, the Palmetto Family Council’s president, said Swinney will be honored because of his Christian testimony, not political reasons.
“Like any other South Carolina citizen, he should be free to speak where he would like to,” Smith said.
As the head football coach at a public university, Swinney is a public employee, and gay marriage proponents say it would “send the wrong message” for him to appear at a ceremony for an organization with which they disagree.
Clemson spokeswoman Robin Denny said Swinney was notified he was receiving an award for his work with his foundation, Dabo’s All in Team Foundation, which gives money to breast cancer research, addiction treatment programs, mentorship programs for underserved children, and even works with former Alabama coach and national championship winner Gene Stallings’s foundation that works with children with special needs. Denny said as far as she knew, Swinney is just appearing to accept the award, not to make a speech.
“Dabo Swinney has been nothing but professional and positive,” said Republican House Majority Leader Bruce Bannister. “The fact that he has a very strong faith and wants to talk about it on his time is absolutely appropriate and acceptable.”
Last year Clemson’s football program drew scrutiny from the Freedom From Religion Foundation (FFRF), the same organization that threatened several small Alabama towns with lawsuits over Christmas celebrations (and lost spectacularly).
FFRF sent a five-page letter to the University saying that Swinney and Clemson were, “co-mingling … religion and athletics results, not from student initiative, but rather from the attitudes and unconstitutional behaviors of the coaching staff.”
An attorney for the University responded to the complaint, saying FFRF “misconstrued important facts and made incorrect statements of the law.”
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— Elizabeth BeShears (@LizEBeesh) January 21, 2015
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