Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: THURSDAY, May 20, 1993 TAG: 9305200286
SECTION: VIRGINIA PAGE: C1 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: Associated Press
DATELINE: LENGTH: Medium
"It seems to be a trend in this geographical area," said Dickenson County Superintendent Gerald Triplett. "We're part of the Bible Belt and parents and students have strong convictions as far as their faith is concerned."
"It has mushroomed as one group at one school sees another group at another school participate and leave school grounds," Norton Superintendent Al Armentrout said. "Each school has to have it run its course, I guess."
About 135 students from schools in Scott, Lee and Dickenson counties left classes Wednesday to protest administrators' decisions to abide by a U.S. Supreme Court decision last summer prohibiting school prayer at graduation ceremonies. But no more walkouts were reported in Wise County and Norton.
One-third of the 1,028 students at Lee High protested on Monday and Tuesday, Superintendent Jerry Bishop said. Nearly 200 students from Pennington Middle School and Jonesville Middle School also protested the ban.
On Wednesday, 40 students from Thomas Walker High School left classes in the morning to protest the administration's decision to abide by the Supreme Court ruling, Bishop said.
"Most went back in late in the morning," Bishop said. "They basically said they were making a statement that they wanted prayer reinstated in graduation ceremonies and other extracurricular activities at school."
About 45 students and a few adults picketed Wednesday in front of the Dickenson County Courthouse and Clintwood High School, Triplett said.
About 50 of Rye Cove High's 390 students left school Wednesday and demonstrated in front of the Scott County Courthouse, Principal Mike Brickey said. The students held a short demonstration on the school lawn Tuesday.
Brickey said Tuesday that the students would be cited for unexcused absences. However, they all had notes from their parents Wednesday giving permission for the absences.
Students from Wise County's Pound and Coeburn high schools and Coeburn Middle School left school Tuesday, officials said.
At Pound High, Principal James Hurt estimated that more than 100 of the school's 538 students were absent. Hurt said it was difficult to tell how many were actually staying away to protest the prayer ban.
"I'm sure some of them are sincere," Hurt said, "and some of them just go along for the ride."
Coeburn High Principal Danny Grear said that about 100 of the school's 690 students were out Tuesday.
In Norton, about 40 seventh-grade students walked out of class Tuesday morning. Many trekked to the Wise County Courthouse about five miles away.
"In a way, you have to agree with the kids," Brickey said of the protests, "but we have to uphold the law."
by CNB