To receive daily emails from Breaking Christian News to your inbox CLICK HERE


SHARE THIS ARTICLE Printer friendly version of this page

Washington School Principal Says No to Interfaith Student-led Prayer Club, But Allowed a 'Pride' Club a Week Earlier

Talia Wise : Apr 11, 2024  CBN News

According to the law group, students L.A.W. and J.W. have friends from many different faith backgrounds and wanted to start a prayer club after school to "bring students together to serve their community."

[CBN News] Two Washington elementary school students are demanding that their school allow them to start an interfaith prayer club after the school's principal denied them access to meet on school grounds. (Image: Unsplash-Rosie Sun)

First Liberty Institute, a non-profit legal group, is representing two students from Creekside Elementary and their parents, claiming that school officials engaged in religious discrimination when they denied the students the opportunity to start a prayer group.

According to the law group, students L.A.W. and J.W. have friends from many different faith backgrounds and wanted to start a prayer club after school to "bring students together to serve their community."

L.A.W. and her mother met with Creekside Principal Amy Allison twice in February about the club, but Allison claimed that all the funding for school clubs was allocated in October, so the club would not be allowed to meet.

An LGBTQ Pride club, however, was launched and promoted by teachers just a week before L.A.W. met with the principal.

Allison told L.A.W. that her only option for the prayer club was to pay for space like outside groups.

First Liberty Institute wrote a letter on behalf of the students alleging Allison's actions were unlawful and violated both the Free Exercise Clause and the Free Speech Clause.

"Principal Allison's suggestion that L.A.W. could apply and pay to use the school's facilities as if she were an outside organization is an unlawful sidestep of the law's requirements. As the Supreme Court has repeatedly held, religious clubs must be afforded the same recognition, access, and rights as other non-curricular clubs," the letter reads. 

First Liberty is giving Issaquah School District and Creekside Elementary School until April 22 to approve the prayer club stating it is a "time-sensitive matter."

"Denying the formation of a religious student club while allowing other clubs violates the Constitution," said Kayla Toney, associate counsel at First Liberty Institute. "School officials at Creekside Elementary are engaged in religious discrimination against an eleven-year-old girl who simply wants to pray, feel support from other religious friends, and do community service. In Coach Kennedy's case just a short drive away in Bremerton, the Supreme Court held that students and staff can pray at school—and to prohibit them violates the First Amendment."

A spokesperson for Issaquah School District told CBN News they did receive the letter and will follow up with additional details after April 15.

"As you may already know, clubs offered are student-interest driven and meet outside of the school day. At the elementary level, participation in a club also requires parent permission," the spokesperson explained. "Once the school year begins, the building budget is set, and additional clubs are usually not added until the following school year." Subscribe for free to Breaking Christian News here

Talia Wise has served as a multi-media producer for CBNNews.com, CBN Newswatch, The Prayer Link, and CBN News social media outlets.







SHARE THIS ARTICLE Printer friendly version of this page

To receive daily emails from Breaking Christian News to your inbox CLICK HERE

Other Recent Articles from Breaking Christian News

AMERICAN SOUNDTRACK: Singer-Songwriter Kaylin Roberson Honors Father and 250 Years of Brave Soldiers in Stirring Ballad 'So I Didn't Have To' (Video)

America of 1976 Would Not Recognize Herself in Our 250th Year

Baseball Players Refuse to Wear Pride Uniforms, Forced to Forfeit

Canada: Carney Liberals Move to 'Force' Radical Internet Surveillance Bill through House

Belfast Is Burning, and the Media Won't Say Why

Israel, Hezbollah Agree to New Ceasefire after Conflict Delayed US-Iran Talks

Report: Biden-Era FDA Spun Autopsy Results to Downplay COVID Vaccine Deaths in Kids, Letter Shows

Newly Exposed: Fauci Funded Wuhan Lab Research That Sparked COVID; Evidence Fauci Manipulated Intelligence and Lied to Congress

From Pulisic's 'Bible Time' to Team Prayer on the Field, US Gives 'Glory to God' at World Cup

Good News: Gasoline Drops Below $4 A Gallon

Pennsylvania Governor Shapiro Abandoning 30,000 Children as Democrats Push to Strip School Choice

Canada's Parliament Officially Passes 'Bible Ban' Bill C-9

Occupied Britain: Muslim Rape Gang Report Warns against Dangers of Mass Immigration (Part 1)

Obama Center Contractors Say Millions Are Owed

VP Vance Defends Iran Deal, Says It Will Benefit Both America and Israel

President Trump Signs MOU with Iran During Dinner at Palace of Versailles (VIDEO)

[Watch] JD Vance Ventures Onto 'The View,' Serves Up an Unforgettable Schooling

School District Pays $95K to Settle Lawsuit After Painting Over Bible Verse Tribute to Charlie Kirk

Is MLB Treating Christians Differently? Senator Hawley Demands Answers

Hundreds of Thousands of Antidepressants Recalled Over Potential Cancer Risk



Search the Articles Archives

Keyword:  
Author:  
Words Posted On:  
Day Month Year



Subscribe to
Breaking Christian News


Follow BCN on Twitter
Are You Praying for Our Government Leaders?
BCN Staff

Steve Shultz
Steve Shultz, Managing Editor
Founder and Owner


Aimee Herd
Aimee Herd, Editor


BCN Plus
Are You Praying for President Trump?
 
 

All articles on this site and emails from BCN are copyrighted property of Breaking Christian News. Permission is given to link to, or share a BCN story if proper attribution is given to both the original writer and summarizer of the story. Breaking Christian News 2005-2019. All Rights Reserved.


Breaking Christian News is a division of Elijah List Publications, Inc. All Rights Reserved


Disclaimer: Articles and links, as well as the source articles linked to; do not necessarily reflect the opinion of Breaking Christian News.

editor@breakingchristiannews.com