The school board approved the agreement Oct. 13. It also requires board members to complete religious-liberty training. The district posted an apology and said the settlement would help it avoid further litigation and legal expenses while meeting its constitutional obligations to students and families.

LifeWise’s classes for students at Emerson Elementary School take place twice a week at New Hope Assembly church, during lunch and recess. Students attend off campus, and participation requires parental consent.

The Ohio-based organization sued the district last year, arguing that district rules made its program difficult to operate. Holly Randall, an attorney with First Liberty Institute, which represented LifeWise, said the group objected to the district’s permission-slip process, restrictions on religious materials and exclusion from community resource fairs open to other organizations.

A federal judge issued a preliminary injunction against the district in April. The settlement resolves the dispute without a final ruling on the lawsuit’s claims. Under a 1952 U.S. Supreme Court decision, public schools may release students for privately funded religious instruction off campus during the school day, provided parents consent.

Everett school board member Charles Adkins has criticized LifeWise. At a December 2025 board meeting, he said the program barred volunteers in same-sex relationships and argued that it fostered anti-gay attitudes among participating children. LifeWise’s attorney characterized the settlement as a win for religious-release programs and First Amendment rights.

The district said its student-release guidelines have been updated under the agreement. LifeWise operates near an estimated 1,200 schools across the country, according to the report.