The Everett School District announced Wednesday that it will issue a public written apology, provide religious‑liberty training for board members, and pay $275,000 in attorney’s fees to resolve a lawsuit filed by LifeWise Academy. The settlement follows a federal judge’s preliminary injunction that blocked the district’s policy requiring elementary‑school students to place Bibles and related materials in sealed envelopes.
Background of the dispute
LifeWise Academy, a privately funded program that offers Bible instruction to public‑school students with parental permission, has operated in Everett for several years. In recent months the district changed its policies, requiring parents to submit a permission slip each week – rather than once per semester – and mandating that any worksheets or Bibles brought back to school be sealed in envelopes so other students would not see them.
According to LifeWise founder and CEO Joel Penton, parents reported that their children felt “shamed” and were told to hide their faith. “Children felt like they had to hide their faith when they were told to put Bibles in envelopes,” Penton told Fox News Digital. He added that the weekly permission‑slip requirement was “onerous” and effectively threatened the program’s ability to operate.
Settlement terms
The settlement requires the district to:
- Post a written apology on its website for six months, acknowledging that comments made at board meetings were offensive and hurtful to families participating in LifeWise.
- Undergo religious‑liberty training for all board members.
- Amend its policies so that parents need only a single permission slip for the entire school year and no longer must seal Bibles or worksheets.
- Pay $275,000 to cover LifeWise’s attorney fees.
In a statement, Everett Public Schools reiterated that parents have the right to seek release for religious‑related activities off‑campus, citing District Policy 2340 and Washington State law (RCW 28A.600.025). The district said the updated Student Release Guidelines now comply with the settlement.
Community reaction
Many parents expressed relief that the district is reversing policies they felt infringed on their religious liberty. “We want our children to be able to read the Bible without fear of being told it’s something to hide,” said one Everett parent who asked to remain unnamed.
Critics of the district’s original policy argued that it singled out a faith‑based program while allowing other extracurricular activities to operate without similar restrictions. The settlement is being hailed by religious‑freedom advocates as a victory for parental‑rights and the Constitution’s guarantee of free exercise of religion.
Legal context
The case underscores the tension between school‑district policies and religious‑liberty protections. While the district cited compliance with state and federal law, the court found that the weekly permission‑slip requirement and envelope rule placed an undue burden on a constitutionally protected activity.
Legal experts note that the settlement may serve as a precedent for other districts in Washington and across the nation that impose similar restrictions on faith‑based programs.
What’s next for Everett schools?
Board members will attend the mandated religious‑liberty training in the coming weeks. The district’s website will feature the apology statement, and the revised policies are expected to take effect immediately, allowing LifeWise to resume its Bible instruction without the previous administrative hurdles.
Everett residents can monitor the district’s website for updates on the policy changes and the upcoming training sessions.
Original reporting: Fox News (HLL/CB) — read the source article.
