1LoverofGod
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A Washington school district is facing a federal lawsuit after a school board member openly admitted to holding "animus" toward a Christian program and officials allegedly forced elementary students to keep Bibles and religious materials "sealed in an envelope" and hidden inside their backpacks.
The complaint, filed Dec. 18 in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Washington, centers on the treatment of LifeWise Academy, a national nonprofit that provides off-campus, parent-led Bible instruction for students during "released time," such as lunch or recess.
The legal action, brought by First Liberty Institute and Bryan Cave Leighton Paisner LLP, accuses Everett Public Schools in Everett, Washington, of violating the First Amendment by treating LifeWise participants as "second-class citizens" and "subjecting the group to onerous standards simply because it is religious."
School officials are also accused of forcing students to keep any LifeWise materials, including Bibles, hidden in envelopes in their backpacks, making them inaccessible for the rest of the school day, even during free periods when students are allowed to read secular materials such as comic books.
www.foxnews.com
The complaint, filed Dec. 18 in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Washington, centers on the treatment of LifeWise Academy, a national nonprofit that provides off-campus, parent-led Bible instruction for students during "released time," such as lunch or recess.
The legal action, brought by First Liberty Institute and Bryan Cave Leighton Paisner LLP, accuses Everett Public Schools in Everett, Washington, of violating the First Amendment by treating LifeWise participants as "second-class citizens" and "subjecting the group to onerous standards simply because it is religious."
School officials are also accused of forcing students to keep any LifeWise materials, including Bibles, hidden in envelopes in their backpacks, making them inaccessible for the rest of the school day, even during free periods when students are allowed to read secular materials such as comic books.
Washington school district forces students to hide Bibles in backpacks, lawsuit alleges
Washington school district faces federal lawsuit accusing it of violating First Amendment rights of Christian program participants and restricting religious activities.
www.foxnews.com
