The issue emerged after Coach Jeff Monken was shown in a video produced by West Point celebrating with his players and directing a member of his staff to lead a prayer after an upset victory Sept. 2 over Temple University. The video was taken down at the direction of Athletic Director Boo Corrigan after West Point received complaints because it was offensive to some people and leaving it online would have been "like grinding salt into the wound," said Lt. Gen. Robert L. Caslen, the superintendent at West Point.

"Maybe 90 percent of the people who were out there supported the prayer," Caslen said. "But, when you look at it from a legal basis and from a legal standpoint, and then you look at it from a leadership standpoint, there were some concerns, and I think they're valid concerns."

"It creates an atmosphere where it is expected from everybody to say a prayer regardless of their faith or no faith," Caslen said. "It's like me as the superintendent of the Corps of Cadets saying, 'Let's take a knee and say a prayer together.' I don't have the authority to do that. I cannot use my position of authority — my public position of authority — to direct my subordinates to do something that is inconsistent with their rights. So, that's probably where we crossed the line."

The issue, first reported Thursday by the independent Army Times, emerged after the nonprofit Military Religious Freedom Foundation raised concerns publicly and said it had received dozens of complaints. The foundation regularly raises questions about issues of separation of church and state in the military.

Caslen said Corrigan had a "teaching effort" with Monken this week. Leaders, Caslen said, can't show partiality to any one group of people over another and should build teams where everyone feels valued. "So, regardless of faith ... everybody in that room should feel comfortable that they were not under coercion to say that prayer," Caslen said.