School Won't Host Wrestling Event after Prayer Ban

A Christian school in Anchorage, Alaska, says it won't host the state's high school wrestling tournament after school leaders were told they cannot pray before the event.

The tournament draws athletes from both public and private schools around the state.

The Alaska School Activities Association received a complaint about the prayers from Americans United for Separation of Church and State on behalf of an anonymous person who attended the event in 2013.

After being asked to stop praying, Anchorage Christian Schools told the activities association it could no longer host the championship event.

School administrators say the prayers were not evangelistic or meant to influence anyone.

"It was a basic prayer for protection of the student athletes that all would compete well, have good sportsmanship. It was a very generic prayer, if I can use that word. It was unoffensive," school administrator Tom Cobaugh told the Alaska Dispatch News.