🚨 INDIANA: THIS ISN’T MERELY “INAPPROPRIATE.” IT MAY CROSS MULTIPLE LEGAL LINES.

A member of our community alerted us to this public announcement from LifeWise Whitko.
🚨LifeWise says its director and teacher will begin entering Whitko Jr/Sr High School in South Whitley during lunchtime to “build relationships” with middle-school students.

Its classes have not even started.

LifeWise admits it is still working out the schedule—but it is already advertising direct access to children inside a public school and immediately telling families to “PRE-ENROLL NOW.”

That is full on recruitment. And depending on what Whitko Community Schools has authorized, several serious legal and policy issues are now on the table.

🚩 RELEASED TIME IS SUPPOSED TO OCCUR OUTSIDE THE PUBLIC SCHOOL.

Released-time religious instruction is constitutionally permitted because students leave the public school and the school merely accommodates their schedules.

The Supreme Court struck down a program in which outside religious instructors entered public schools during the school day. It later upheld a different program specifically because the religious instruction occurred off school property.

LifeWise cannot use an off-campus religious-instruction law as a doorway for bringing its ministry back inside the school.

If these visits include Bible lessons, prayer, evangelism or religious persuasion, that is not simply a “meet and greet.” It raises a direct First Amendment problem.

🚩 INDIANA LAW PROHIBITS PUBLIC SUPPORT FOR THE RELIGIOUS PROVIDER.

Indiana Code §20-33-2-19 states that an entity providing released-time religious instruction “may not be supported, in whole or in part, by public funds.”

So what publicly funded space, employee time, supervision, announcements, technology or other school resources will be used to facilitate these recruitment visits?

The public deserves an accounting.

🚩 A PUBLIC SCHOOL MAY NOT GIVE ONE RELIGION PREFERENTIAL ACCESS.

If LifeWise is being granted access to the cafeteria and direct access to students that comparable religious, nonreligious and community organizations are not offered, that raises another serious constitutional problem.

Would Whitko provide the same opportunity to representatives of a Jewish, Muslim, Hindu, humanist or Satanist organization?
Could they also enter during lunch, approach students, “build relationships” and recruit them into their programs?

If the answer is no, then this is not neutrality. It is religious favoritism.

🚩 THE EQUAL ACCESS ACT IS NOT A FREE PASS FOR OUTSIDE ADULTS TO RECRUIT CHILDREN.

STUDENTS have the right to organize and participate in religious clubs during noninstructional time. But this announcement is not describing students voluntarily gathering with one another.

👉It describes adult representatives of an outside evangelical organization entering the school to cultivate relationships with students and increase enrollment in their program.

Federal law specifically distinguishes student-led religious activity from activities directed or controlled by outside adults.👀

🚩 WHERE IS THE PARENTAL CONSENT?

Indiana’s released-time process begins when a parent provides written notice requesting that their child attend religious instruction.

So will LifeWise representatives interact only with students whose parents have already enrolled them?

Or will they be permitted to approach children whose parents have never consented to any contact with LifeWise?

“Come say hi” is not an adequate child-safety or parental-consent policy.

Whitko Community Schools must disclose:

➡️ Who authorized these visits?

➡️ What exactly will LifeWise personnel be permitted to say and do?

➡️ Which students may be approached?

➡️ Will prior parental consent be required?

➡️ Have the LifeWise representatives completed every visitor and background-check requirement?

➡️ What school space, staff time and public resources will be used?

➡️ What other outside organizations have been offered equivalent access?

➡️ What written policy permits a ministry to recruit students during the school day?

The announcement alone cannot tell us precisely which legal line Whitko has crossed. That is why the district must provide records and answers before these visits begin.

But LifeWise’s own words establish its purpose: It wants to enter a public school, “build relationships” with children and convert that access into enrollment.

A public-school cafeteria is not an evangelical ministry’s recruiting station.
“Released time” does not mean released from constitutional scrutiny.

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