California IN BRIEF : SIMI VALLEY : Teachers Told to Halt Noon Prayers

School officials have told four teachers who serve as advisers to religious clubs at Royal High School to discontinue their practice of leading the student groups in prayer at noontime meetings. On the advice of the school district’s attorneys, Principal David Jackson recently informed the teachers that leading the groups in prayer is unconstitutional. Jackson said several U.S. Supreme Court rulings forbid teachers to lead such activities because teachers are representatives of the state. “This is a matter of separation of church and state,” he said. Kathrin Hufford, a 17-year-old senior and a member of the club, complained to the school board that the teachers’ rights to free speech were being infringed upon. “They should have the same rights we have,” she said.