Students Told Attendance At Religious Ceremony Was Mandatory
LAS VEGAS, N.M. -- The Public Education Department and the American Civil Liberties Union are looking into a religious ceremony before graduation at Robertson High School.It hurt me reading "The ACLU is looking into it." but I am assuming Richard Lopez missed the class on the First Amendment when he went for his teaching license.
Students were told in three notices that attendance at the May 19 baccalaureate at Immaculate Conception Church in Las Vegas was mandatory.
Robertson principal Richard Lopez said going to baccalaureate was optional despite the notices.
He said students could opt out by talking to him.
However, the Las Vegas Optic said Lopez didn't respond to questions about how students would know they could opt out and why attendance was listed as mandatory.
Public Education Department spokeswoman Beverly Friedman said student attendance at religious ceremonies is not mandatory.
She said the state is investigating.
The ACLU also is looking into the issue.
