Blue State School District Has to Apologize, Pay Big Fine after Discriminating Against Chistians and Making Them Hide Their Bibles

A Washington school district that required students returning from Bible classes to conceal their religious materials in sealed envelopes has agreed to apologize and pay $275,000 in attorney’s fees. The settlement resolves a lawsuit challenging Everett School District’s treatment of LifeWise Academy and participating families. School board members must also undergo religious liberty training. The agreement requires a written apology to remain publicly visible on the district’s website for six months.

LifeWise provides voluntary Bible instruction to public school students during school hours, with classes conducted off campus using private funding and parental permission. The organization announced the settlement on October 14th, 2026. Its lawsuit challenged restrictions affecting children attending the program and the parents arranging their participation, including requirements governing what students could bring back to school after their lessons.

According to LifeWise, families were required to reauthorize their children’s participation every week. Students had to keep materials received through the program, including Bibles, sealed inside envelopes in their backpacks upon returning to campus. The organization also said it was excluded from community events and opportunities to display flyers. LifeWise argued that those requirements singled out its religious program for unequal treatment.

First Liberty Institute and Bryan Cave Leighton Paisner represented LifeWise in the dispute. In its October 13th settlement announcement, First Liberty said other programs weren’t subjected to comparable restrictions. The organization also identified remarks from board member Charles Adkins, who accused LifeWise of an “effort to turn our nation into a fascist theocracy” and publicly expressed hostility toward the program.

The case reached a significant turning point in April 2026, when the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Washington issued a preliminary injunction against the district. Everett’s own public statement acknowledges that the judge found the plaintiffs likely to succeed on their First Amendment claims. Those claims concerned permission slips, concealed religious materials and access to district facilities. The plaintiffs included LifeWise and participating parent Sarah Sweeny.

The district acknowledged that its implementation of the rules created difficulties for students and families. It also recognized that comments at board meetings had harmed participating families’ exercise of their faith. Addressing children and parents affected by those remarks, the district stated, “We further apologize to any students or families that were made to feel by these comments that your religious beliefs are unworthy of respect.”

Watch LifeWise founder Joel Penton discuss the Bible restrictions and settlement here:

First Liberty senior counsel Stephanie Taub welcomed the agreement, saying, “Religious discrimination has no place in public schools.” LifeWise CEO Joel Penton said the organization would continue providing Bible-based character education in Everett. He also addressed the treatment of the program going forward: “We are pleased that LifeWise will receive the same access and respect given to other optional programs.”

The district’s published release guidelines now allow parents to request participation through a written note or email identifying the student, release dates and times, and authorized pickup adults. Students may be released for religious instruction only during lunch or recess to avoid disrupting their educational program. Authorized adults must show identification and sign students out and back in. Families arrange transportation to the off-campus instruction; the district doesn’t provide transportation or supervision for those activities.

Featured image credit: screengrab from the embedded video.