A Christian Bible program serving public school students has filed a federal lawsuit against a Washington state school district, alleging that officials have adopted discriminatory policies that effectively block families from accessing religious instruction that is legally protected under federal precedent.

LifeWise Academy, a Released-Time religious instruction program that operates in more than 1,000 schools nationwide, allows parents to opt their children out of class during non-essential periods, such as recess or lunch, to attend off-campus Bible lessons. The model is funded independently and has been legal since a 1952 Supreme Court ruling in Zorach v. Clauson, which affirmed that public school students may leave campus during the school day for religious education if parents consent.

“We’ve been growing rapidly in the last few years,” LifeWise CEO Joel Penton told CBN News, noting that a new Everett, Washington, location started strong last year with dozens of families participating. But he said pushback soon began after concerns were raised with the school board. “They put in some really discriminatory rules,” Penton said.

According to Penton, the district now prohibits LifeWise from attending the same school-related events that other youth organizations use to inform families about available programs. “Unlike other student groups … we cannot show up now at any of the school-related functions like the fair where kids sign up for programs like ours,” he said. LifeWise alleges no other club was subjected to comparable restrictions.

The district also reportedly instituted a new opt-in requirement that parents submit permission slips every week — and hand-deliver them — rather than signing once at the beginning of the year, which Penton called an unreasonable burden designed to discourage participation in the program. “Children need to bring in a permission slip every single week,” he said. “It’s clearly an obstacle.”

But the policy Penton found most startling involves student materials. Students returning to school from LifeWise are allegedly required to place all materials — including Bibles — into a “sealed envelope.”

“That sounds like it can’t even be real,” Penton said, calling it “almost comically discriminatory,” as though Scripture might “infect other children.”

Penton said the organization attempted to resolve the dispute quietly before turning to First Liberty Institute, a conservative legal firm specializing in religious liberty cases. After a formal letter failed to change district policy, LifeWise filed suit in federal court, seeking to restore access for participating families. “Parents are upset by this,” Penton said. “Kids whose parents opt them into the program want to quietly have a Bible study.”

“We’re not looking for fights,” he added. “We’re looking to teach the Bible to kids.”

Everett Public Schools has not publicly commented on the litigation. A district spokesperson reportedly told local media there would be no further statement while the case is ongoing.