A Washington state school is accused of violating a fifth-grader’s religious freedom protections by denying her request to establish an interfaith prayer club on campus.
An eleven-year-old girl’s application to start a prayer group to bring together students from different faith backgrounds to “serve their community” was denied by Creekside Elementary School in Sammamish, Washington.
However, Creekside allows more than a dozen other “non-religious clubs” to meet, including a Pride Club, which is a “safe space” for educating students and staff about “LGBTQIA+ history and people,” according to its website from school.
Principal Amy Allison also allows for a Green Team, aimed at ‘making the school more sustainable’, including Marimba Club, Chess Club and Student Council.
“Denying the formation of a religious student club and allowing other clubs to form is unconstitutional,” Kayla Toney, associate counsel at First Liberty Institute, told DailyMail.com.
The school district is also near Bremerton, Washington, where coach Joseph Kennedy won in 2022 in the Supreme Court over his wrongful dismissal for leading on-field prayers with his high school football team.
Creekside Elementary facilitates a Pride Club, a “safe space for students to build community” and to “raise students and staff awareness of LGBTQIA+ history and people,” according to the school’s website.
Bremerton High assistant football coach Joe Kennedy, front, walks off the field with his lawyer, right, October 16, 2015, after praying at the 50-yard line following a football game in Bremerton, Washington
Joe Kennedy is surrounded by Centralia High School football players as they kneel and pray with him on the field after their 2015 game
Former Bremerton High School assistant football coach Joe Kennedy will take a knee before the U.S. Supreme Court after his trial
Bremerton paid a high price for keeping Coach Kennedy from praying, but other Washington schools apparently don’t get the message.
“In the case of Coach Kennedy, just a short drive away in Bremerton, the Supreme Court ruled that students and staff can pray at school – and that doing so is a violation of the First Amendment,” Toney added.
“School officials at Creekside Elementary are engaged in religious discrimination against an 11-year-old girl who simply wants to pray, feel support from other religious friends and do community service.”
First Liberty is now warning the school that their decision to reject the prayer club is unconstitutional.
“Such anti-religious discrimination violates the free exercise and free speech clauses of the First Amendment,” Toney wrote in a letter to Principal Amy Allison and the Issaquah School District board of directors.
She specifically told DailyMail.com that the school’s demand that the 11-year-old student pay to facilitate the after-school club on campus – like an outside group – creates an unfair standard compared to the other permitted secular groups.
In addition, she says it is “telling” that the school allows the other clubs on campus, but not a religious club.
“This is facial discrimination,” Toney continued.
The director never responded to the eleven-year-old student’s follow-up request to start the club.
Toney goes on to say that, as the Supreme Court’s decision in the Kennedy case made clear, the ‘The First Amendment protects the ability of students and employees to express their beliefs in public schools.”
Based on Supreme Court precedent in the neighboring school district, the Issaquah School District should immediately allow the prayer club, she continued.
Based on Supreme Court precedent in neighboring school district, Issaquah School District should allow prayer club, attorneys say
If not, First Liberty will likely take the case to court and expect to win, just as it did in the Coach Kennedy case.
Toney states that the request to start a prayer club must be granted no later than April 29, 2024.
“If we do not hear from you and receive these assurances by then, we will proceed as our clients direct, likely pursuing all available legal remedies,” the letter concludes.
Toney said “we are prepared to litigate if necessary” and “are fully prepared to take this to court.”
DailyMail.com reached out to Creekside Elementary School and the district’s school board for comment.