IN BRIEF

SAFETY OF STUDENTS

Police looking to hire more crossing guards

A shortage of crossing guards at area schools is expected to worsen after the holidays because that's usually a period when many people leave the part-time jobs, Las Vegas police said.

Currently, about 20 crossing guard vacancies need to be filled around the Las Vegas Valley, police say. During the past five months, 39 crossing guards have been hired by Las Vegas police, but 30 have left the part-time job, which pays $8.91 per hour.

The high attrition rate may be attributable to the fact that it is outdoor work with an odd split-schedule of a few hours in the morning and a few hours in the afternoon, authorities said.

Las Vegas police are creating a task force that will look at possible short-term and long-term solutions aimed at ensuring student safety. Las Vegas police said the opportunity to be a crossing guard is a good one for those who would like to supplement their income with a minimal time commitment. Anyone interested in applying for the job can pick up an application at any local substation or from the department's Web site, www.lvmpd.com.

CASE SPARKS DEBATE

Student sues over anti-Christian remarks

A Mission Viejo, Calif., history teacher has been sued for making what one student calls anti-Christian comments in the classroom.

The case has sparked a debate about the role a teacher's convictions should play in their lessons.

Capistrano Valley High School sophomore Chad Farnan and his parents filed the lawsuit against James Corbett last week.

They allege that Corbett's remarks during an advanced European history class violated a clause in the First Amendment that prohibits the government from promoting religious intolerance.

Court papers cited tape-recorded classroom comments that included Corbett saying, "When you put on your Jesus glasses, you can't see the truth" and other remarks that troubled Farnan.

Farnan claimed Corbett's lessons were one-sided.