Schools expected to ban graduation prayers

By Emily Richmond (contact)

Thursday, Feb. 27, 2003 | 11:16 a.m.

The Clark County School Board is expected tonight to ban benediction and invocation prayers at graduation ceremonies, following a federal court ruling that said such activities amounted to forced participation in religion.

"Our regulations must be in line with federal law," said William Hoffman, senior counsel for the Clark County School District. "And the law prohibits the establishment of religion through government action."

Clark County graduation speakers must submit their comments in advance to district administrators for review, Hoffman said. Because the district looks at the content ahead of time, allowing invocations or benedictions could be construed as sponsoring religious activity, he said.

Allen Lichtenstein, attorney for the ACLU of Nevada, praised the school board's plans to revise the regulations.

"This is welcome, if somewhat overdue," Lichtenstein said Wednesday. "We're glad the School Board is now backing the constitutional principles set down by the courts."

The ACLU isn't against prayer, Lichtenstein said.

"Individuals can pray anytime they want, and we support their right to do so," Lichtenstein said. "But prayer at an official event turns into tacit endorsement, and that's unacceptable."

Current district regulations allow invocations and benedictions provided the majority of the high school's senior class agree and have consulted with the principal. The new regulation, which the board will vote on at its meeting tonight, eliminates that exception.

Agustin Orci, deputy superintendent of instruction for the Clark County School District, said he was unaware of any complaints from either students or staff regarding religious expression at graduation ceremonies. The revised regulation is more a response to federal court rulings than local concerns, Orci said.

The change to Clark County's regulation comes on the heels of new guidelines from federal education officials that requires schools allow certain types of religious expression provided it is initiated by the students.

In a directive issued earlier this month as part of the No Child Left Behind Act, the U.S. Education Department warned schools that do not comply would risk losing federal funding.

Schools must allow "constitutionally protected prayer," such as a campus Bible study group, provided it does not interfere with classroom instruction, according to the education department's website.

The federal guidelines order schools to show "neither favoritism toward nor hostility against religious expression."

"In a district our size it makes sense to spell it all out so that everyone's on the same page," Sheila Moulton, Clark County School Board president, said. "Religious matters are always a sensitive subject, and it's important that we strike the right balance."