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The University of Utah received a letter from a Washington, D.C., group that calls on it to stop a voluntary LDS Institute lesson reportedly taught weekly by U. football coaches Morgan Scalley and Sione Pouha.

Americans United for Separation of Church and State cited a Deseret News article about the class, which the LDS Church-owned newspaper reported has been taught by Pouha — a student assistant coach who played defensive tackle for the New York Jets — since he joined the staff this year, with the help of Scalley, Utah's safeties and special-teams coach.

Utah head coach Kyle Whittingham said after Tuesday's practice that Pouha is "absolutely not" the Institute class instructor, nor are any of his assistants. Scalley and Pouha participate on a volunteer basis, Whittingham clarified later Tuesday evening.

Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints spokesman Doug Andersen said Wednesday that the class has been held for 11 years and instructed by Terry Baker all but one year, at which time there was another instructor from the Institute. Baker is the current instructor, Andersen said.

The lessons do not count toward credit at the U., but the watchdog group writes that they're at odds with the First Amendment, and that the "need for religious neutrality is, moreover, especially strong when it comes to the coaches and staff of the college football team: Student athletes rely on their coaches for playing time, scholarships and the potential opportunity to become a professional athlete."

The U. Office of General Counsel responded late Tuesday that it's not a violation of the First Amendment's Establishment Clause "for a group of LDS students and coaches to voluntarily participate in a religious instruction activity."

"At the present time, we have no reason to believe this was an activity sponsored by the university or that there was any coercion of the students to participate. These individuals have the constitutional right to freely exercise their religion, and it would be illegal for the University to interfere with that activity."

The watchdog group wrote that the letter came in response to a complaint, declining to provide The Salt Lake Tribune with information about the complainant.

Associate legal director Alex Luchenitser wrote in an email that even if the coaches had instructed the players on their own time, as volunteers, "it would not make these religious classes constitutional."

"The classes are being taught by a member of the coaching staff, on the practice field or in team meeting rooms, often immediately after practice," Luchenitser wrote.

"That communicates to players that the classes are sponsored and endorsed by the University of Utah. The religious classes thus place the University's stamp of approval on a particular religious faith," the email added.

He later continued: "When a coach teaches a religious class on school property in conjunction with practice, team members will naturally think that taking part in the class will make the coach think more favorably of them and will feel pressure to join the instruction."

Asked for a reaction to the notion that his players feel pressured to attend the class, Whittingham said, "Call my lawyer."

mpiper@sltrib.com Twitter: @matthew_piper