🚨Everett, Washington is in the national spotlight—and we need to talk about why.
This week, the Secular Education Association (SEA) formally submitted a letter to the Everett School Board regarding LifeWise Academy’s Released Time Religious Instruction (RTRI) program. Everett has faced intense pressure from LifeWise, an Ohio-based organization attempting to force districts across the country to change their student-safety procedures to suit its own operational needs.
➡️We want the public to understand something important:
Everett Public Schools.WA did not create this conflict. LifeWise did.
And now Everett is caught in the middle of a national debate about religious influence, student safety, and the boundaries of public education.
SEA is a national watchdog organization specializing in RTRI programs. We have seen these patterns in more than a few states, and Everett is now experiencing the same tactics:
-Claims that long-standing procedures are “new rules”
-Pressure to relax safety protocols
-Accusations of “discrimination” when districts enforce neutral, uniform policies
Our letter makes one point crystal clear:
📌Everett has compelling reasons—legal, operational, and child-safety related—to reconsider whether permitting any RTRI program is in the district’s best interest.
This is not about religion or viewpoint. This is about liability, duty of care, student safety, and the district’s non-delegable responsibility for children during the school day.
Everett has already experienced a serious lapse when children were released to an unauthorized adult. That is exactly the type of risk RTRI creates—and exactly why districts must think carefully before granting this kind of access.
We are urging Everett to do what many districts across the country have already chosen to do:
Protect students, protect the district, and decline to permit any RTRI programs.
LifeWise brought this fight to Washington.
Everett does not have to bend to it.
📄 SEA’s full letter to the Board is available below.
We encourage community members to read it and to contact the Everett School Board with their concerns.
What people are saying:
- Facebook User: LIFEWISE acts like it’s in the driver’s seat. I hope Everett Schools refuse to allow them access to public school kids during school hours. It’s disgraceful that a self identified
Christian group would use threats to get excused from standard safety measures required of anyone who takes a child out during school hours. - Facebook User: “Access” is the word…
Public schools do not have to grant access to their minor students on taxpayers time. Taxpayers pay for that school time.
- Facebook User: Facebook User yes. And in WA state, recess counts as instructional time, so it’s especially egregious.
- Facebook User: What is the date of this letter please? There is no date…
- Zachary Parrish: Facebook User Dec. 4
Leave a Reply