Washington School District to Pay $275,000 and Apologize After Restricting Bible Education Program

Everett Public Schools in Washington state has agreed to pay $275,000 in attorney's fees, revise its policies, and publicly apologize to settle a federal lawsuit over its treatment of an off-campus Bible education program.

The settlement, approved by the school board in mid-October, resolves claims brought by LifeWise Academy, a nonprofit that offers voluntary, privately funded Bible-based character education to public school students during the school day. Under longstanding released-time rules, parents may authorize their children to leave campus briefly for the instruction, which takes place off school property.

According to CBN News and court-related reporting on the case, the district had adopted rules that applied only to LifeWise. Students returning from LifeWise classes were required to keep any materials they received, including Bibles and worksheets, sealed in envelopes inside their backpacks for the rest of the school day, so other students would not be exposed to them. Parents were also required to submit a new permission slip every week, rather than authorizing participation once for a semester. The district further barred LifeWise from community resource fairs and from displaying flyers in places open to other organizations.

LifeWise, represented by First Liberty Institute and the law firm Bryan Cave Leighton Paisner, argued that the rules singled out religious instruction and interfered with parental rights. In April 2026, a federal judge granted a preliminary injunction against the district, describing the backpack rule as overly broad and finding that the district had engaged in viewpoint discrimination.

Under the settlement, the district will change its policies governing religious activities, require school board members to complete religious liberty training, and post a written apology on the district website for six months. In that apology, district officials acknowledged that the implementation of their policies created difficulties for LifeWise students and families, and apologized for comments made at board meetings that were described as offensive and hurtful to participating families.

Joel Penton, CEO of LifeWise Academy, called the settlement a welcome victory for Everett families who want the freedom to choose Bible education for their children during school hours, and said the program looks forward to continuing to serve children in the Everett community. A senior counsel at First Liberty Institute said religious discrimination has no place in public schools and called the outcome a victory for religious released-time programs.

The case is a reminder that released-time Bible education has long been part of American public life, and that when school policies treat faith differently from other activities, families and courts alike take notice. For Christian parents, the outcome points to the value of knowing their rights, working patiently through proper channels, and seeking resolutions that protect every family's freedom to raise their children in the faith.