LifeWise Academy Wins $275,000 Settlement After School District Blocked Bible Education Program
A public school district in Washington state agreed to pay $275,000 to settle a lawsuit filed by LifeWise Academy. The organization said the district had discriminated against its released-time Bible education program by denying access it gave to other groups.
LifeWise Academy reached a $275,000 settlement with a Washington state school district after the district blocked the organization's released-time Bible education program from accessing students during school hours.
LifeWise Academy operates released-time programs in which students are dismissed from public school to receive religious instruction off campus. The organization argued the district had allowed other outside groups to communicate with students but singled out LifeWise for exclusion.
Released-time religious education is legal under a 1952 U.S. Supreme Court ruling. LifeWise has expanded its programs to hundreds of school districts across the country in recent years, often drawing legal challenges from groups that argue the programs blur the line between church and state.
The settlement does not require the district to admit wrongdoing. LifeWise said the outcome affirms that public schools cannot treat religious organizations differently from secular ones when it comes to access to students.
The case drew attention from religious liberty advocates who have tracked a series of similar disputes in recent years. Attorneys for LifeWise said the settlement sends a clear message to school administrators about equal access requirements under the First Amendment.
The district did not issue a public statement on the settlement terms.
