A Washington state middle school is facing scrutiny after attorneys say a student was reprimanded for handing out Gospel tracts to classmates—raising renewed questions about religious freedom on public school campuses.

According to the American Center for Law and Justice (ACLJ), which is representing the student, the incident occurred on or around February 18 at an unnamed public middle school. The student, a minor, had been distributing Gospel tracts she obtained from the Gospel House Tract Society during lunch and breaks, reportedly asking classmates for permission before sharing them.

Attorneys say a vice principal entered a classroom, removed the student, and told her she was not allowed to distribute religious materials at school. When the student questioned why other forms of expression were permitted, the administrator allegedly responded, “Students may share opinions, but they may not share religious beliefs.”

The ACLJ argues that the distinction is unconstitutional. In a March 20 demand letter, attorneys Nathan Moelker and Christina Compagnone said the school’s actions violate the student’s First Amendment rights. They cited the landmark Supreme Court case Tinker v. Des Moines Independent Community School District (1969), which affirmed that students do not “shed their constitutional rights to freedom of speech or expression at the schoolhouse gate.”

“The prohibition against the mere discussion of God or the giving of an item displaying a religious reference to a friend and classmate blatantly interferes with [her] First Amendment rights as a student,” the attorneys wrote.

The situation has drawn further attention because of what the ACLJ describes as inconsistent enforcement. According to the demand letter, the vice principal pointed to school-approved student protests—such as walkouts related to immigration issues—as examples of acceptable expression, while maintaining that religious materials were not allowed.

During the same interaction, the student reportedly asked about starting a Christian club but was told it would require a teacher sponsor—something the ACLJ says misrepresents legal protections for student-led religious groups.

This is not the first conflict between the student and the district. In 2019, when she was in elementary school, officials reportedly conducted daily backpack searches to confiscate Christian tracts. That dispute led to a formal agreement in 2022 affirming the student’s right to distribute religious materials and requiring the district to remain neutral toward religious expression.

The ACLJ now contends that the school is in breach of that agreement and is demanding written assurance that the student can continue to share her faith during non-instructional time without interference. The organization is also calling for equal treatment in allowing her to form a Christian student club.

At the heart of the case is a broader issue that continues to surface across the country: whether students of faith are being given the same freedom of expression as their peers. For many, the outcome of this dispute could help clarify how those rights are applied in today’s schools.