Washington School District to Pay $275K Over Bible Restrictions

The Everett School District in Washington has agreed to issue a public apology, implement religious liberty training for its staff, and pay $275,000 in attorney's fees. This settlement resolves a lawsuit brought by LifeWise Academy, a Christian education organization, which challenged district policies that required elementary school students to keep Bibles and related materials in sealed envelopes.

LifeWise Academy CEO Joel Penton stated that parents reported their children felt pressured to conceal their faith due to these restrictions, viewing it as an indication that their beliefs were something to be ashamed of. The lawsuit also contested a policy requiring parents to submit weekly permission slips for their children to attend voluntary, off-campus Bible instruction, a change from previous semester- or year-long permissions.

Penton argued that the weekly permission slip requirement was overly burdensome and intentionally designed to hinder the program's operation. "We know at least with the permission slip policy that it was meant to effectively shut down the program," Penton said, emphasizing that the convenience of Bible education during school hours was a key factor for enrollment.

LifeWise Academy, which offers privately funded Bible instruction to public school students during the school day with parental consent, had been operating in Everett for several years before the district altered its policies. Penton claimed that these changes were discriminatory and infringed upon the religious liberties of the program. The organization also reported being excluded from community fairs where other student organizations were permitted to participate.

In April, a federal judge granted a preliminary injunction against the district. The settlement, announced by LifeWise Academy, mandates changes to district policies, training for board members, a six-month public apology on the district's website, and the payment of legal fees.

A statement from the district acknowledged that comments made during various board meetings were offensive and hurtful to families participating in LifeWise programming, for which the District and its Board of Directors offered a sincere apology. The district's statement on its website affirmed parents' rights to seek the release of students for religious-related activities or instruction occurring off school property, citing compliance with state and federal law.

Stephanie Taub, senior counsel at First Liberty Institute, which represented LifeWise Academy, called the settlement a significant victory for religious release-time programs. The Everett Public Schools stated that there were no changes to its core policy, but the Student Release Guidelines have been updated to align with the settlement's terms.