A federal lawsuit has been filed against Everett Public Schools in Washington, alleging the district violated the First Amendment rights of students participating in an off-campus Christian program. The legal action, initiated on December 18, claims school officials imposed discriminatory rules on students associated with LifeWise Academy, including a requirement that Bibles be kept hidden in sealed envelopes.
The complaint, brought forth by First Liberty Institute and Bryan Cave Leighton Paisner LLP, details a series of restrictive policies that it argues unfairly target the religious nature of the program. These allegations have been intensified by public comments from a school board member who admitted to holding “animus” toward the organization.
Key Takeaways
- Everett Public Schools is facing a federal lawsuit for alleged First Amendment violations against a Christian student group, LifeWise Academy.
- The lawsuit claims students were forced to keep Bibles and religious materials hidden in sealed envelopes inside their backpacks.
- Other allegations include a weekly permission slip requirement and exclusion from school community events and flyer distributions.
- School Board Director Charles Adkins publicly stated he holds “animus” toward LifeWise Academy, accusing it of being a “homophobic” organization.
- The district's legal counsel has described the allegations as “factually inaccurate,” stating that the district complies with all state and federal laws.
Detailed Allegations Against the School District
The lawsuit filed in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Washington presents a series of specific grievances against Everett Public Schools. At the center of the dispute is the treatment of students enrolled in LifeWise Academy, a nonprofit that offers parent-led, off-campus Bible instruction during non-instructional school time, such as lunch or recess.
The 'Sealed Envelope' Policy
One of the most striking claims in the complaint is that school officials mandated students to keep any materials from LifeWise, including Bibles, concealed within a sealed envelope inside their backpacks. According to the lawsuit, this policy effectively prevented students from accessing these materials for the remainder of the school day.
This restriction applied even during free periods when students were permitted to read other non-curricular materials, such as comic books or novels. Attorneys for the plaintiffs argue this creates a double standard that specifically penalizes religious content.
Burdensome Administrative Hurdles
Beyond the handling of materials, the lawsuit challenges what it describes as “burdensome” administrative policies. One such policy required parents to submit a new, separate written permission slip every single week for their child to attend the off-campus program.
Furthermore, the complaint alleges that LifeWise Academy was barred from participating in the school's community fair. The organization was also reportedly denied the ability to display informational flyers in school lobbies, a privilege extended to secular community groups. The lawsuit contends these actions collectively treat the religious program and its participants as “second-class citizens.”
A Pattern of Exclusion
The lawsuit alleges a consistent pattern of unequal treatment, including:
- Denial of access to school community fairs.
- Prohibition on displaying informational flyers alongside secular organizations.
- Implementation of a weekly, rather than a one-time, parental consent form.
Board Member's Controversial Public Remarks
The situation escalated following public comments made by Everett School Board Director Charles Adkins during a board meeting on December 9. His statements, which are cited in the lawsuit, followed a letter from LifeWise attorneys urging the district to change its policies.
Adkins did not mince words, openly admitting his personal feelings toward the organization.
“I want to make it very, extremely, abundantly clear, that yes, I do in fact hold animus toward LifeWise Academy,” Adkins stated at the meeting.
He continued by characterizing the group in strong terms, calling it “an organization of homophobic bullies who are active and willing participants in the efforts to bring about an authoritarian theocracy.” Adkins also urged the board to resist what he described as “Christian nationalism, fascism and White supremacy.”
Legal representatives for LifeWise argue that these comments provide direct evidence of discriminatory intent behind the district's restrictive policies.
The Legal Precedent for Religious Instruction
The attorneys representing LifeWise Academy assert that the school district's actions contradict decades of established legal precedent regarding religious freedom and public education. The practice of “released time” religious instruction has a long history in the United States.
Zorach v. Clauson (1952)
The U.S. Supreme Court addressed this issue directly in the 1952 case Zorach v. Clauson. The court ruled that released-time programs are constitutional under specific conditions: the instruction must occur off school grounds, it cannot be financed by public funds, and it must have parental consent. LifeWise Academy states its program is structured to meet these requirements.
Jeremy Dys, senior counsel at First Liberty Institute, emphasized this point in a press release. “School officials cannot prefer religion over nonreligion, nor may they throw obstacles in the path of parents simply trying raise their children according to their religious convictions,” Dys said. “Purposefully hindering the operation of an out-of-school program just because it’s religious is a direct violation of the First Amendment.”
The plaintiffs also reference a more recent U.S. Supreme Court action from June 2025 in the case of Mahmoud v. Taylor, which reaffirmed that public schools “may not place unconstitutional burdens on religious exercise.”
The School District's Response
Everett Public Schools, through its legal representation, has pushed back against the allegations. In a letter dated December 12, an attorney for the district, Sarah Mack, addressed the claims made by LifeWise's lawyers.
The letter, obtained by the Everett Herald, described the alleged violations as “factually inaccurate.”
“With respect to LifeWise Academy itself, the District will continue to evaluate any requests to participate in District-sponsored events or to distribute its materials in compliance with its policies and procedures which comport with state and federal laws,” Mack wrote. She added, “Simply because your client disagrees that those policies and procedures should apply to it or to the families and students served by LifeWise Academy does not make them unconstitutional.”
As the lawsuit proceeds through the federal court system, the case will likely hinge on whether the district's policies constitute a reasonable and neutral application of rules or an unconstitutional burden on religious expression. Requests for comment sent to Everett Public Schools and Board Director Charles Adkins were not immediately returned.