Religious group sues Everett School District over access restrictions

An off-campus religious group for students is officially suing the Everett School District.

According to The Everett Herald, LifeWise Academy alleged that the district kept the group from attending a “School Resource Fair.” The academy is an optional Bible education program that pulls students out of school during lunch and recess for classes.

As things currently stand, LifeWise Academy is barred from participating in community events, from displaying flyers on campus, and any student within the academy must conceal any written materials they receive from the program in a sealed envelope in their backpack.

Additionally, the school district requires parents to sign off on and approve the student’s participation via a permission slip policy.

LifeWise Academy has called the school-mandated permission slip policy “needlessly complicated.” The religious academy is asking the district to retract these “restrictions,” claiming it’s a violation of freedom of speech.

First Liberty Institute, a nonprofit legal organization focused on religious freedom cases, has provided legal resources to support LifeWise Academy’s efforts.

“Sarah and Darcie tried to participate in the community resource fair and display LifeWise flyers in the school office. But they were turned away,” First Liberty Institute stated. “However, other groups were allowed to participate. The school office refused to keep a stack of LifeWise flyers because they considered it to be ‘distribution,’ while simultaneously displaying almost 20 other flyers to be viewed and picked up by students and parents.”

The district has not commented, as of this reporting, but is “preparing a response,” according to The Everett Herald.

While the Everett school board has not taken any action against LifeWise, some board members have openly stated they do not support the program.

“We, as a board, do not support or endorse programs that provide off-campus religious instruction during the school day, and prefer that students stay at school,” school board President Traci Mitchell said at a Sept. 9 meeting, according to The Everett Herald. “Parents, though, do have the right to ask the district to release their child from school for religious or non-religious purposes.”

This is a developing story, check back for updates

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