Prayer service leads to school tardies

Several Las Vegas Academy students on Wednesday said school officials targeted them with tardy notices because they had attended a religious service before school.

But that's not so, said Clark County School District spokesman Ray Willis.

About 50 Las Vegas Academy students were given tardy notices simply because they were late to their first-period classes, he said.

The students of various religious backgrounds were gathered in front of the flagpole at the public high school for a prayer service beginning at about 6:30 a.m.

Many of the students were late for 7 a.m. classes and were cited for being tardy during a regular tardy sweep. Late students who were not at the service were also cited, Willis said.

Prayers are allowed at school outside of regular instruction time. Some schools even have regular prayer groups.

"The problem comes when they are not in class when they are supposed to be," Willis said.

Still, students who were there said school officials could have cut them some slack.

"I was 2 minutes late," said 14-year-old freshman Michael Luis, who served a 45-minute lunch detention. "I was upset. We were in the middle of leading the last prayer when they headed us back to class."

archive