MLSD denies reports of rosaries being taken from students
R. HANS MILLER | Hagadone News Network | UPDATED 8 months, 2 weeks AGO
The rosary has long stood as a symbol of Catholic faith and dedication to Mary . Many school districts nationwide have policies in place to prevent them from being visibly worn after gangs began to use them to indicate faction affiliation and rank in recent years, using bead colors as a code to indicate such information.
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Managing Editor Rob Miller is a 4-year U.S. Army veteran who grew up in Western Montana in a community about the size of Soap Lake. An honors graduate of Texas State University, he enjoys spending time with his wife, Brandee, and their three dogs, Draco, Pepper and Cinnamon. He has one son, William. During his free time, he enjoys photography, video games, reading and working on the house he and his wife bought in Ephrata. He is passionate about the First Amendment and educating communities. | March 31, 2025 1:30 AM
MOSES LAKE – Moses Lake School District staff deny claims that students have had rosaries taken from them at Frontier Middle School after a student who attended that campus was killed in a March 21 drive-by shooting.
“In consultation with local law enforcement and out of an abundance of caution for individual safety, we ask that individuals cover any visible rosaries,” said MLSD Director of Communications Ryan Shannon. “Unfortunately, items like these have, at times, been associated with gang affiliations. As such, and in accordance with the dress code outlined in our student handbook, we kindly ask that rosaries be worn discreetly under a shirt or jacket.”
According to reporting by The Reporter, the official newspaper of the Lutheran Church, various gangs have used rosaries to indicate gang affiliation and rank within gangs. Examples include the Latin Kings using specific bead combinations to identify affiliation and rank within the gang; the Netas, an East Coast gang originating in Puerto Rico wearing 78 red, white and blue beads to symbolize the 78 towns of Puerto Rico.
MLSD has not banned the wearing of rosaries, but the district’s handbook does ask that they be worn discretely to ensure they are not used in a way other than for religious purposes.
Multiple court decisions nationwide have indicated that schools may not ban the wearing of a rosary, with one case indicating that such general bans are too vague and do not adequately address the gang-affiliation aspect of the situation.
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LETTER FROM THE EDITOR: In appreciation of educators ...
An experience I recently had with a school district, quite honestly, has left me gob-smacked a bit. I am in awe of the teachers and administrators at school districts throughout the region and what they have to deal with. Let me get back to the beginning, though. Journalists often cover a wide variety of topics and are constantly looking for ideas for stories that will matter to readers. As such, when we hear of events of interest, we sometimes ask to attend so we can either cover it, or, as in this case, learn how to cover a topic better.