Las Vegas Sun

March 29, 2024

NLV school apologizes to sixth-grader for barring Bible verse

A public charter school in North Las Vegas has apologized to a sixth-grader after telling her she couldn't use a Bible verse for a classroom assignment.

Nonprofit legal group the Liberty Institute said the Somerset Academy issued a formal apology Friday.

Mackenzie Fraiser can now resubmit her technology class assignment with the Bible's John 3:16 verse. The assignment asked students to include an inspirational quote in a PowerPoint presentation about themselves.

The Liberty Institute sent a demand letter to the school on Wednesday asking for an apology within 10 days.

Somerset Academy board chairman Cody Noble says in the letter that the teacher and assistant principal acted in good faith when they barred the verse's use but made an inadvertent error interpreting the Department of Education's guidelines on religious expression.

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