With the help of the First Liberty Institute, a fifth-grade student and her friend have won the right to start a prayer club at Creekside Elementary School in Issaquah, Washington, Charisma News reports.
When Laura, 11, and her mother initially approached the school principal, Amy Allison, to start the club in February this year, it was turned down, stating that the funding and resources for starting a club had been allocated in October 2023.
At this point, they were told that if Laura wanted to start a prayer club, they would need to rent space from the school.
However, when it was discovered that the school had approved a Pride club, a week before Laura asked permission for a prayer club, First Liberty sent a letter to the school threatening legal action.
“By singling out a religious club and providing it inferior access to school resources than what it provides to other noncurricular groups, the District shows a hostility to religion that violates the Free Exercise Clause,” the First Liberty’s letter read.
“Principal Allison’s suggestion that L.A.W. could apply and pay to use the school’s facilities as if she were an outside organization is an unlawful sidestep of the law’s requirements. As the Supreme Court has repeatedly held, religious clubs must be afforded the same recognition, access, and rights as other non-curricular clubs,” the letter continued.
After receiving the letter, the school has since allowed the prayer club to proceed.
