U.S. District Judge Lauren King

A federal judge ordered Washington's Everett Public Schools to loosen restrictions on LifeWise Academy, an off-campus religious group for public school students, citing First Amendment violations. The ruling allows LifeWise to participate in community fairs, display flyers, and use semester-long permission slips for student attendance, among other changes. The case highlights tensions over religious expression in public schools and references a 1952 Supreme Court precedent upholding off-campus religious instruction.