Washington's Everett School District to Apologize and Pay $275,000 in Settlement Over Bible Program Restrictions
The Everett School District in Washington state has reached a settlement requiring it to change policies governing religious activities, provide religious liberty training for its Board of Directors, post a public written apology on the district's website for six months, and pay $275,000 in attorney's fees. The settlement was announced Oct. 14 by LifeWise Academy, which brought the lawsuit, and reported by national outlets on Oct. 16.
LifeWise Academy provides optional, privately funded Bible-based character education to public school students during school hours; classes take place off school property and require parental permission. According to First Liberty Institute and co-counsel, who filed the suit on behalf of a LifeWise parent and staff member, the district's restrictions singled out the program: it was excluded from community events and flyer displays, families were required to submit burdensome weekly parental reauthorization, and students were required to keep materials received at LifeWise, including Bibles, sealed in envelopes in their backpacks. In April, a federal judge granted a preliminary injunction against the district.
'Parents and students deserve to be treated with respect, regardless of their religious beliefs,' said LifeWise CEO Joel Penton, calling the settlement a welcome victory for Everett families. Stephanie Taub, senior counsel at First Liberty Institute, said religious discrimination has no place in public schools. (GSM, based on statements by LifeWise Academy and First Liberty Institute and reporting by the New York Post)
Published by GSM · USA (original Chinese edition)
Photo: 图：一摞圣经（资料图）。图片来源：Wikimedia Commons，CC BY-SA 4.0。Photo: A stack of Bibles (file photo). Image: Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0.
