News Release
For Immediate Release: 5.8.24
Contact: John Manning, media@firstliberty.org
Direct: 972-941-4453
Seattle Area School Reverses Course, Allows Elementary Student’s Prayer Club to Meet
The Washington state school district is near Bremerton, where the school district lost an expensive case at the U.S. Supreme Court involving prayer.
Issaquah, WA—First Liberty Institute today announced that the Issaquah (WA) School District will allow two elementary school students to start an interfaith prayer club at Creekside Elementary School. The school previously denied the fifth-grader’s request to start the club though it actively promoted more than a dozen non-religious clubs, including a Pride Club and the Green Team. After advocacy from First Liberty attorneys and Mark C. Lamb of Carney Badley Spellman, P.S., the school district reversed course.
“We are very pleased that the Issaquah School District is allowing our clients to start a prayer club at their school this spring,” said Kayla Toney, Associate Counsel at First Liberty Institute. “Schools should always respect the religious beliefs of their students. This is a victory for students of all faiths and a reminder that people of faith have a constitutional right to express their religious beliefs and pray, even in a public school setting.”
Creekside Elementary School is in Sammamish, WA, just a short distance from Bremerton High School, where Coach Joe Kennedy was fired for praying on the football field after each game. Coach Kennedy won his right to pray on the field in a 6-3 Supreme Court decision. The Court’s holding in Kennedy v. Bremerton School District made clear that the First Amendment protects the right of students and employees to express their faith in public schools.
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About First Liberty Institute
First Liberty Institute is a non-profit public interest law firm and the largest legal organization in the nation dedicated exclusively to defending religious freedom for all Americans.
To arrange an interview, contact John Manning at media@firstliberty.org or by calling 972-941-4453.
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