The Everett School District in Washington State has agreed to a significant settlement with LifeWise Academy, closing a lawsuit that centered on the district's policies regarding off-campus religious instruction. The agreement, approved by the school board this week, comes after a federal judge granted a preliminary injunction in April, concluding that the district had engaged in viewpoint discrimination.
"I do in fact hold animus" Board Member, Everett School District
The legal framework for programs like LifeWise Academy’s has roots in a 1952 Supreme Court decision. This landmark ruling established the legality of allowing public school students to attend off-campus religious classes during school hours. Two primary conditions must be met for such "release-time" programs: they must be funded privately, and parents must provide consent for their children's participation. LifeWise Academy asserts that its program consistently adheres to both these requirements.
For several years, LifeWise Academy conducted its classes in Everett without incident or legal challenge. However, the situation changed when the Everett school board adopted a new set of rules governing religious activities. Joel Penton, CEO of LifeWise Academy, outlined these new regulations to Fox News. Among the most contentious was a requirement that children carry any Bible or worksheet from their religious instruction back to school in a sealed envelope. Penton stated the district's rationale was to prevent other students from being "exposed to them."
Another significant policy change involved parental approval. Instead of parents submitting a single permission slip for an entire semester or academic year, the new rules demanded that a fresh permission slip be hand-delivered every week. This weekly requirement, Penton explained, rendered the program "unworkable" for many families. Furthermore, the district began excluding LifeWise Academy from certain community fairs, events where other non-school groups were still permitted to participate.
LifeWise Academy leadership expressed concerns that these new rules created an environment where participating children felt compelled to conceal their faith. Penton relayed that parents reported their children felt "being told to hide their faith 'as though it was something to be ashamed of.'" The organization attempted to resolve the dispute directly with the school district through negotiation, but these efforts proved unsuccessful, leading LifeWise Academy to file a lawsuit.
The federal court's decision in April marked a turning point. The judge's ruling granted a preliminary injunction against the district's policies, finding that the district had, in fact, engaged in viewpoint discrimination. This legal determination underscored the constitutional protections afforded to religious expression in public education contexts, provided they adhere to established legal precedents.
The settlement, which now fully resolves the case, includes several key provisions. First, all Everett School District board members will undergo training on religious liberty. Second, the district has committed to revising its policies concerning religious activities to align with constitutional requirements and avoid future discrimination. Third, the district is required to issue a written public apology. This apology must remain prominently displayed on the district's website for a period of six months. The text of the apology directly addresses the impact of the district's previous actions, stating that comments made at board meetings "were offensive and hurtful to the families participating in LifeWise programming." The apology further affirms the district's commitment to valuing the right of families to raise their children according to their own beliefs and expresses regret to anyone who felt their religious beliefs were not respected.
The public record of those board meetings included a particularly stark statement from one board member, who declared, "I do in fact hold animus," directing the remark at a group described as "homophobic bullies" seeking "an authoritarian theocracy." This statement was a point of contention during the legal proceedings and is implicitly referenced in the district's public apology.
Finally, the settlement mandates that the Everett School District pay $275,000 to LifeWise Academy to cover its attorney's fees. The district also posted its own separate statement, acknowledging that officials had revised student-release guidelines to comply with the settlement terms and that they respect the preliminary injunction.
Stephanie Taub, Senior Counsel at First Liberty, an organization that advocates for religious freedom, commented on the outcome, stating that "religious discrimination has no place in public schools." She characterized the settlement as a "victory for release-time programs," emphasizing the importance of allowing students to access religious instruction during the school day. Joel Penton echoed this sentiment, welcoming the settlement as a "victory for Everett families who want the same access and respect given to other optional programs." The resolution underscores the ongoing legal and social complexities surrounding the balance of religious freedom, public education, and inclusivity within school environments.
