Everett Public Schools forces Christian students to hide Bibles during education hours

Everett Public Schools (EPS) in Washington State is being sued for discriminating against Christian students. In a press release, First Liberty Institute said it was “challenging the district’s regulations on permitted release-time religious instruction for students.”

Read the First Liberty lawsuit here.

EPS is accused of violating the First Amendment rights of students who participate in the LifeWise Academy program. According to media sources, these students are required to hide their Bibles during educational hours.

On January 14, 2026, Fox News reported:

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.

According to the LifeWise Academy’s Vision Statement and Philosophy page, the organization envisions public students “engaging with groups who may or may not share our gospel-centered objective.”

EPS Board Member Charles Adkins was named in the lawsuit alongside claims that he and other school officials displayed “a pattern of hostility” towards LifeWise student members.

Listen to Adkins’s comments during the December 9, 2025, EPS school board meeting:

In response to the letter from LifeWise Academy’s lawyers, Adkins publicly stated:

I want to make it very extremely, abundantly clear that yes, I do in fact hold animus toward LifeWise Academy, as do many parents and families who have reached out to this board…It is an organization of homophobic bullies who are active and willing participants in the efforts to bring about an authoritarian theocracy.

Adkins denounced LifeWise as having an “anti-gay agenda” that he found “offensive and ridiculous.” He also expressed issues with the program taking place during school hours and said LifeWise wants to “tear down the wall separating church and state.”

It’s worth noting that EPS maintains a Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Department with a mission “to create and sustain a safe, caring, and inclusive environment within our school district community so that all students, families, and staff feel welcomed, valued, and supported.”

The Department regularly publishes a “Cultural & Religious Calendar Guide” that outlines various holidays and spiritual activities observed by the district. The guide even acknowledges the dietary habits of Pagans during certain times of celebration.

In its press release, First Liberty highlighted a 2025 Supreme Court decision that reinforces parental rights and provides protections from governmental burdens when exercising religious freedoms.

First Liberty stated:

Supreme Court precedent gives parents the legal right to choose release-time religious instruction for their children during school hours. School districts that accommodate parents who want their students to participate in release-time religious instruction, as the Supreme Court said, follow ‘the best of our traditions. For it then respects the religions nature of our people and accommodates the public service to their spiritual needs.’

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