Las Vegas Sun

May 5, 2024

Suit challenges student’s removal from office

It also has resulted in a lawsuit against the school by the boy and his parents.

The lawsuit, filed by attorney Bruce Cox on behalf of Guy Sutton, seeks an injunction ordering that the youngster be reinstated before he graduates in June.

"Reinstatement after graduation is meaningless," the legal action states.

Faith Lutheran Principal John Haynal defended the disciplinary action.

"There are just some things in the Christian world that are not acceptable, especially in a leadership role," Haynal said.

"We can't control our children 24 hours a day, but for eight hours a day, in God's house, we can follow his rules."

Problems over the 17-year-old's presidency began, the lawsuit states, after he chose to take a U.S. government class required for graduation rather than a student government class.

The lawsuit alleges that the student council adviser, Joanne Krafft, still required Sutton to perform 10 hours of extracurricular work although he was carrying eight classes and was a varsity football player.

On Nov. 15, the student council placed Sutton on probation and required an additional five hours of extracurricular work.

During a volleyball game later that day, Sutton is said to have "uttered a barrage of vulgarities" at another student. Four days later, the student council removed him from office.

Haynal said there had been a prior incident of profanity by Sutton that resulted in a warning.

He said when Sutton again used profanity and "raised a fist in anger at a female member of the student council," harsher discipline was warranted.

"None of this should have been a surprise to the Sutton family," Haynal said.

Cox contends that the student council lacked the authority to remove Sutton and the student council constitution didn't permit removal for the use of profanity.

The lawsuit charges that Krafft "is guilty of oppression towards Guy actuated by malice (justifying punitive damages)."

The removal from office is alleged to have "caused grevious suffering" on the part of Sutton and his parents, Mariann and Raymond Sutton. The teenager has attended the private school at 1251 Robin St., near Washington Boulevard and Rancho Drive, since kindergarten.

Unspecified compensatory and punitive damages are being sought in addition to reinbursement of tuition.

Faith Lutheran, which has 350 students in grades 6-12, has been operating in its existing facility since 1978, but broke ground Tuesday for a new school in Summerlin that is scheduled to be open in late fall or early winter.

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