Ohio is the receipt. Now check your state. When released-time religious instruction laws change from “may” to “shall,” local school districts lose power. That tiny word change can mean the difference between: “Our district may allow this.”and“Our district shall allow this.” That is not local control.That is state lawmakers forcing public schools to accommodate outside…

Ohio is the receipt. Now check your state. When released-time religious instruction laws change from “may” to “shall,” local school districts lose power. That tiny word change can mean the difference between: “Our district may allow this.”and“Our district shall allow this.” That is not local control.That is state lawmakers forcing public schools to accommodate outside…

Ohio changed released-time religious instruction from “may” to “shall.”➡️Translation: districts lost the ability to say no. And a superintendent knew exactly what that meant. In an email, he called it: “a scam and slap in the face of public education.” He was right. This is not just an Ohio problem. This is the national playbook:…

Ohio changed released-time religious instruction from “may” to “shall.”➡️Translation: districts lost the ability to say no. And a superintendent knew exactly what that meant. In an email, he called it: “a scam and slap in the face of public education.” He was right. This is not just an Ohio problem. This is the national playbook:…

The Christopher Riggs issue is not isolated.SEA has been warning about this exact problem since July 2024, when we raised concerns about Renee Beck. Now, in 2026, Christopher Riggs is the latest example. In both cases, SEA raised concerns about people publicly connected to LifeWise programs. Not because we had special access. Not because the…

The Christopher Riggs issue is not isolated.SEA has been warning about this exact problem since July 2024, when we raised concerns about Renee Beck. Now, in 2026, Christopher Riggs is the latest example. In both cases, SEA raised concerns about people publicly connected to LifeWise programs. Not because we had special access. Not because the…

Do you think the end of the school year means LifeWise is slowing down? Think again. SEA tracked LifeWise movement from April 5 to May 18, 2026. In just six weeks: 43,384 schools moved forward at the signature stage.6,389 schools moved forward in launch steps. That does not mean every one of these schools has…

Do you think the end of the school year means LifeWise is slowing down? Think again. SEA tracked LifeWise movement from April 5 to May 18, 2026. In just six weeks: 43,384 schools moved forward at the signature stage.6,389 schools moved forward in launch steps. That does not mean every one of these schools has…

In case you missed it: They keep calling released-time religious instruction “private” and “off campus.” But the records tell a much messier story. In Plymouth, Ohio, public records reviewed by SEA show a LifeWise Academy project involving: public school land Board of Education approval superintendent coordination village records zoning approval public water and sewer references…

In case you missed it: They keep calling released-time religious instruction “private” and “off campus.” But the records tell a much messier story. In Plymouth, Ohio, public records reviewed by SEA show a LifeWise Academy project involving: public school land Board of Education approval superintendent coordination village records zoning approval public water and sewer references…

Stop calling it “private” when public schools make it possible. Families are told released-time religious instruction is simple: Kids leave school.Parents give permission.The program is private.The school is separate. But public records from Plymouth, Ohio show why that story falls apart fast. SEA reviewed records tied to a LifeWise Academy project showing public school land,…

Stop calling it “private” when public schools make it possible. Families are told released-time religious instruction is simple: Kids leave school.Parents give permission.The program is private.The school is separate. But public records from Plymouth, Ohio show why that story falls apart fast. SEA reviewed records tied to a LifeWise Academy project showing public school land,…

This NBC4 article is exactly why SEA keeps warning about released time laws. This is not about blaming public schools. We support public schools. Our concern is with lawmakers and outside organizations creating systems that pull children off campus during the school day, away from the layered safety protections schools work so hard to maintain.…

LifeWise Academy says it is “private.” But in Putnam County, public records raise a very public question. County commissioner minutes say LifeWise Academy was provided outside space at the Ag Complex/fairgrounds for a trailer from January through March 2026 at a rate of $50 per month. The minutes describe it as a “temporary solution” until…

UPDATE / DOCUMENTATION NOTE The original LifeWise Tri-Valley Facebook posts identifying Christopher Alan Riggs appear to have been removed or hidden. But Google’s indexed search results still show the receipts. One result identified “Pastor Chris and Mrs. Diana Riggs” with Adamsville 4th–6th grade. Another result from LifeWise Academy – Tri-Valley referred to “Mr. Chris and…