Washington school district apologizes to Bible education program, pays $275K in legal fees
Reported byChristian Post
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Everett Public Schools in Washington state has settled a dispute with LifeWise Academy, a Christian nonprofit that runs off-campus religious instruction for public school students during the school day. Under the agreement, the district revised its rules covering religious activity, arranged religious liberty training for its board members, and covered $275,000 of the group's attorney fees. The district's board and superintendent also issued a public apology posted on the district website.
In that statement, the district acknowledged that its policies made things hard for participating students and families, especially around how students were released for instruction and how materials from LifeWise were handled. Board members also apologized for remarks made at meetings about the program, calling them hurtful to families. The district said it intends to apply its policies neutrally and consistently.
LifeWise had filed suit, alleging the district kept it out of community resource fairs and blocked it from posting flyers where nonreligious groups were allowed. In April, a federal judge in the Western District of Washington partly granted a preliminary injunction, a temporary order that limits certain actions while a case continues. The judge wrote that the district engaged in viewpoint discrimination. LifeWise's lawyers at First Liberty Institute and its CEO called the settlement a victory. The article does not describe any further steps.
Why it matters
The settlement shows how a district's handling of outside religious programs can lead to litigation, mandated training and legal costs. Taxpayers, families and board members may want to understand how access rules for outside groups are applied evenly.
- District lawsuits
- Religion in schools
- Court ruling
- Board policy
- Free speech
Written with AI from the publisher's article and may contain errors. The original reporting is the authoritative source.
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- How should a district decide which outside groups may use flyers and resource fairs, so that rules apply evenly to religious and nonreligious organizations?
- What role should training for board members play in preventing legal disputes over religious activity and student release time?
- How can board members voice concerns about outside programs at public meetings while keeping families respected?
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