Florida
The Lake County Schools will not allow special exceptions for tardy students attending a religious club, thanks to FFRF.
A concerned complainant reported that Lake Minneola High School may have been granting religious student clubs with preferential treatment. FFRF learned that a student-led bible club met on campus during school hours, and that club meetings often ran late. Reportedly, some of the high school teachers had a pattern and practice of excusing students in the club from being tardy if they arrived late to class, but FFRF learned that the same teachers do not excuse students’ tardiness if they are arriving late from other clubs or activities.
“Here, it appears Lake Minneola High School is favoring the bible club by permitting its members to regularly arrive to class tardy, while enforcing tardiness policies against students who are late to class for other reasons,” FFRF Staff Attorney Sammi Lawrence wrote to the district.
The district was represented by Shareholder W. Scott Cole, who emailed FFRF. “In response to your letter, the school administration has reminded school personnel and students that all club meetings must end on time so that students will not be late for class and that students who are tardy must be marked as such regardless of which club meeting they were attending,” Cole wrote. He additionally thanked FFRF for bringing the violation to his attention.
