Everett School District to Pay $275,000 in Bible Envelope Lawsuit Settlement

The Everett School District in Washington state has agreed to pay $275,000 in attorney's fees and issue a public apology after a lawsuit challenged policies that required elementary students to keep Bibles in sealed envelopes. LifeWise Academy, a Christian education organization, announced the settlement on Wednesday, which also mandates religious liberty training for school board members. Joel Penton, founder and CEO of LifeWise Academy, stated that the agreement follows a legal challenge to district restrictions that he described as discriminatory.

The dispute centers on policies implemented by the Everett School District that affected LifeWise's privately funded Bible instruction program. Penton told Fox News Digital that parents reported their children felt pressured to hide their faith when required to store religious materials in envelopes. The district had previously required families to submit permission slips weekly for students to attend voluntary, off-campus Bible instruction, a change from the previous practice of signing a single slip for the semester or year.

Penton claimed the weekly permission requirement was designed to make participation impractical for many parents. He noted that LifeWise had served dozens of students and families in Everett for several years before the school board altered its rules. The organization argued that the new guidelines unfairly targeted its program and infringed on religious liberty. Additionally, Penton said LifeWise was barred from participating in some community fairs, a restriction he claimed did not apply to other student organizations.

In April, a federal judge granted a preliminary injunction against the district, according to LifeWise. The settlement requires the district to post a written apology on its website for six months. The district's statement acknowledged that comments made at board meetings concerning LifeWise were offensive and hurtful to participating families. The school board offered a sincere apology for those remarks.

Everett Public Schools stated in a separate release that parents retain the right to release students for off-site religious instruction under District Policy 2340. The district maintained that its procedures align with Washington State law and federal law. When reached by Fox News Digital, the district said there were no changes to the core policy but confirmed that Student Release Guidelines were updated to comply with the settlement terms.