
                         Roanoke Times
                 Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: SATURDAY, June 19, 1993                   TAG: 9306190240
SECTION: VIRGINIA                    PAGE: C-3   EDITION: NEW RIVER VALLEY 
SOURCE: 
DATELINE: ALEXANDRIA                                LENGTH: Short

JUDGE BARS LOUDOUN GRADUATION PRAYERS

A federal judge on Friday barred four Loudoun County high schools from offering school-sponsored prayers, benedictions or invocations at their graduation ceremonies next week.

In granting a preliminary injunction, U.S. District Judge Albert Bryan Jr. said he found that the prayer was initiated by school officials, not students.

The idea began with a memorandum from the superintendent, and the ballot used by students to vote on the issue was devised by the School Board. The process allowed "a majority of students to impose their will on a minority of students," Bryan said.

He added that there was clear evidence of official school involvement in every phase of the process and noted that graduation attendance was by definition "mandatory to complete one's school tenure."

Attorneys for the School Board said they would appeal. - Associated Press

by CNB