News briefs for Oct. 15, 2002

Tuesday, Oct. 15, 2002 | 11:13 a.m.

Lawsuit filed over religious clothing

A Las Vegas man has filed a lawsuit against the Merryhill Schools and one of its principals over alleged harassment of his son over his Jewish identity.

According to the lawsuit filed Monday in District Court, Donald Parker, principal of the Durango Drive Merryhill School, harassed and intimidated student Daniel Odents for wearing the traditional garb of Orthodox Jews.

Parker is alleged to have repeatedly asked the boy to remove his yarmulke and an undergarment called a tzitzit, despite the fact the private K-6 school has no written policy prohibiting the clothing, the lawsuit states.

On one occasion, the lawsuit alleges, Daniel Odents' father, Amir Odents, saw Parker harass his child and then forcibly removed the boy's yarmulke.

Eventually, the boy began to take off his yarmulke and tuck-in his tzitzit at school although he feared God would punish him, the lawsuit states.

Daniel Odents "was ashamed, hurt, offended and felt violated and helpless as the defendant raped him of his Jewish identity," the lawsuit states.

Merryhill spokeswoman Gina Baker said this morning that the company has not seen the lawsuit and had no comment.

Another fire hits wedding chapel

Las Vegas fire inspectors believe a fire that destroyed a downtown wedding chapel was intentionally set, authorities said.

This is the second fire the business suffered in the past two years. No one was injured.

Firefighters responded to the Silver Bell Wedding Chapel at 607 Las Vegas Blvd. South about 11:30 p.m. Monday. They found the chapel, which was under construction, fully engulfed in flames.

Firefighters made sure the fire didn't spread to a motel on one side of the chapel and an office building on the other. Firefighters had the blaze under control in less than 10 minutes.

The fire destroyed the building,

An arson dog brought to the scene indicated the fire was arson, fire authorities said.