Southwest Licking Board of Education Meeting Transcript December 19, 2024

Debra Moore:
Did we get copies of the background checks.

Unknown:
I did not get copies of background checks.

Debra Moore:
Can we get those copies?

Unknown:
I’m absolutely sure we could, yes.

Debra Moore:
And the MOU? Do we have a copy of that?

Unknown:
Mm-hmm.

Debra Moore:
I think maybe in May when we do have this talk, I think I’d like to add on top of the background checks, maybe rap-back. Is it in the MOU that if they do have new volunteers, those volunteers are background checked?

Unknown:
I believe so, but I need to double check. I don’t want to misspeak. I believe so, yes.

Full video on YouTube - timestamps for clips are 11:00 and 13:15

The district stated there was an MOU at a board meeting, but it has not been able to provide it. When asked, the treasurer indicated that Lifewise never signed an MOU.

The school district policy requires a signed MOU with Lifewise. The board meeting on December 19, 2024, indicates that an MOU is in place. The local Lifewise Director, Sonya Dulaney, was present at the meeting. Lifewise Academy was aware of these requirements. During the Lifewise discussion, the board asked Sonya a question. The blatant disregard for the school district’s policies is clear.

Lifewise Academy has a single set of laws, regulations, and policies to follow. They claim to be “keenly aware” of the law. They are not. They do not train their thousands of staff and volunteers on the legal parameters they must follow, just to increase enrollment and funding.

1. The program is off school property.

2. The program is privately funded.

3. The parents give permission for their children to attend.

Lifewise does not mention the rest of the court’s opinion.

1. The school district must remain neutral to the RTRI program.

2. No announcements of any kind in the school related to the RTRI program.

3. The school dismissed students one hour early, at the end of the day, to attend an RTRI program.

The Supreme Court felt so strongly against coercing students to attend a religious period that it stated, “if it were established that any one or more teachers were using their office to persuade or force students to take the religious instruction, a wholly different case would be presented.” The Court ruled that if the school used any means to coerce students into attending the religious period, a new case would need to be brought before the courts.

Understanding the facts of the case is important for determining whether other programs claiming to be legal under Zorach are sufficiently similar to fall under the same ruling.

The school district in the Zorach case did not decide whether students could attend based on criteria like behavior, grades, or schedule. The school did not publicize the program or establish rules for hiring program staff. The Supreme Court agreed that the school authorities “do no more than release students whose parents so request.”

Southwest Licking School District (Pataskala, Ohio) adjusted schedules, prepared lunches for off-site consumption, and helped enroll students to support Lifewise Academy. The Southwest Licking Public School System has become a key partner of Lifewise Academy.

Lifewise Academy gives flyers and information to school districts that says

“We Keep It Legal. LifeWise Academy is keenly aware of the necessity to keep public and religious institutions separate. We diligently adhere to relevant laws and policies, namely, the maintenance of a program that is: privately funded, off school property, and parent-permitted.”

That statement is 100% false. Lifewise does not adhere to all laws and policies.

The Lifewise handbooks, manuals, and training materials do not instruct staff on the neutrality requirements of the Supreme Court rulings, state laws, or school policies. School districts that rely on Lifewise Academy to police itself and maintain the program’s legality are creating a situation in which they could be held liable for violating state law and the school’s own policies.

Southwest Licking has failed to comply with the Supreme Court’s no-coercion requirements and its own policies. School Board Policy JEFB states that Lifewise and the district must sign a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU). The MOU requires the RTRI program to comply with all laws and policies. As of now, the district has not signed an MOU with Lifewise. The policy also mandates that the RTRI program conduct background checks on all personnel to match the district’s standards. To date, the district has not verified if Lifewise has met this requirement. Parents should assume policies are followed, but in this case, policies designed to protect student safety have been ignored.

Southwest Licking Board of Education Meeting Transcript December 19, 2024

Debra Moore:
Did we get copies of the background checks.

Unknown:
I did not get copies of background checks.

Debra Moore:
Can we get those copies?

Unknown:
I’m absolutely sure we could, yes.

Debra Moore:
And the MOU? Do we have a copy of that?

Unknown:
Mm-hmm.

Debra Moore:
I think maybe in May when we do have this talk, I think I’d like to add on top of the background checks, maybe rap-back. Is it in the MOU that if they do have new volunteers, those volunteers are background checked?

Unknown:
I believe so, but I need to double check. I don’t want to misspeak. I believe so, yes.

Full video on YouTube - timestamps for clips are 11:00 and 13:15

The district stated there was an MOU at a board meeting, but it has not been able to provide it. When asked, the treasurer indicated that no MOU was ever created and agreed upon by the district and Lifewise.

Lifewise is not “keenly” aware of the laws and policies and tries to convince schools that as long as the program is 1. Off school property, 2. Parent-permitted, and 3. Privately funded, it is 100% legal. Lifewise chooses to ignore many laws and policies that help them use public schools as their mission field.

Please hold your school board accountable and protect the time public schools have been given to educate students. Report violations to the Freedom from Religion Foundation at https://ffrf.org/legal/report-church-state/

Registration for release time programs must occur off school premises, and must be done on forms and supplies furnished by the group or institution offering the program. Teachers of release time programs are not to be considered members of any public school faculty and should not be asked to participate as faculty members in any school functions or to assume responsibilities for operation of any part of the public school program.

IDAPA 08.02.02-220-09 (page 38)

The Melba School District Policy 2350 states:

Staff members are representatives of the District and must “navigate the narrow channel between impairing intellectual inquiry and propagating a religious creed.” They may not encourage, discourage, persuade, dissuade, sponsor, participate in, or discriminate against a religious activity or an activity because of its religious content. They must remain officially neutral toward religious expression.

Melba School District Policy 2350

The physical education teacher at Melba Elementary School, Brock Jessup, organized the effort to introduce the RTRI program at his school. This action violates both school policy and Idaho state law. Jessup managed the sign-up process through school communications, sending and receiving sign-up forms on school property. The emails below demonstrate how this process was handled at the school.

School faculty are running the program and signing up students on school property, which is against state law and school policy.

Jessup Uses Students to Increase Religious Enrollment

On a Bible2School podcast, Jessup mentioned that students were used for distributing items to their classmates at school. This is the most common form of recruitment for RTRI programs. Jessup’s comments:

teachers were very supportive of the program at the school that I’m at. And just this week, again, it was our last week, so we sent them home with all the really cool trinkets. And just the week prior, we did the Jonah and the Whale story.

So there was a buzz going on. And this week we sent them home with their Bibles and with their salvation bracelets. And teachers just come up to me and say, man, the kids were just, they couldn’t wait to share all their little goodies that they got.

And other kids are seeing it and thinking to themselves that they would like to do it too.

Bible2School Podcast Episode 149

The Melba School District Policy prohibits this behavior with policy 3250.

Students should not be exploited for the benefit of any individual, group, or profit-making organization.

Melba School District Policy 3250

The school district faculty has facilitated enrollment in a religious program. They have conducted this using school resources. They have enabled young children to be the marketing engine for a religious organization. Public schools are not mission fields and should not be open to churches during compulsory attendance time.

If you see violations like these, please report them to the Freedom from Religion Foundation.

Lifewise will frame these changes in law as a parental rights issue, but parents have always been able to submit a request to the school and sign their children out for religious instruction. This will not impact attendance or truancy. The Supreme Court ruled on this in 1948 and 1952. The changes Lifewise is implementing force public schools to cooperate with Lifewise, adjust schedules, and assist in releasing students. Release time religious instruction is not a right, and forcing school districts to facilitate release time programs violates the legal authority of public schools.

Attorney Matt Krause, from First Liberty Institute, testified at a hearing on release time legislation in Ohio that release time is not a right. First Liberty is a legal representative for Lifewise and also serves as counsel in the current lawsuit Lifewise has filed against the public schools in Everett, Washington.

The Secular Education Association has created an extensive video that shows all the ways Lifewise has worked to persuade the government to pass laws in its favor. Take the time to watch or at least listen to it. They also have a bill tracker to see the status of legislation across the country.

View the Lifewise Academy map and read more at https://respectpublicschools.com/

According to the school sign-in/out record, this occurred on December 17, 2025, at approximately 11:00 AM. They wouldn't sign out for 2 hours and 45 minutes, until 2:17 PM. Two days earlier, the Lifewise teacher and director were on school property for 3 and 4 hours, respectively.

The principal invited Lifewise to setup in the school and passout gifts.

Zorach vs Clauson (1952) states, "no announcement of any kind will be made in the public schools relative to the program [rule 1]." The Supreme Court's ruling is clear the school must remain neutral with regard to release time programs. Setting up in front of the school office is not remaining neutral.

The full public records request is in the PDF below.

Tri-County Public Records Request

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Newton Motion for Lifewise

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Full scan of motion to suspend a school board policy for Lifewise Academy.

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The reason for Lifewise moving onto school property is not 100% clear, and requests to Lifewise asking have gone unanswered. Respect Public Schools was told there was a fire code or building inspection issue at the location where classes were being held. The classes were previously held at The Chouse, a local event space. Social media posts confirm this, and it appears the classes are back at this same location. With no report of what the building issue was.

The Newton Local School Board met on March, 24, 2025, and filed a motion to temporarily override the school board policy 7510 “USE OF DISTRICT PREMISES.” This motion did not reference the Ohio statute 3313.6022, which states,

“(A) As used in this section, "released time" means a period of time during which a student is excused from school to attend a course in religious instruction conducted by a private entity off school district property.”

A local Board of Education cannot override state law. But Lifewise has emboldened school staff and administration with the idea that anything is allowed, so long as it supports their religious beliefs. Under no circumstances should a school board pass a motion that goes against federal Supreme Court case law and Ohio statutes.

Lifewise Academy’s Comedy Act “OFF SCHOOL PROPERTY”

Read more and view the Lifewise Academy map at https://respectpublicschools.com/

On January 14, 2022, Pennington and the Lifewise steering committee continued applying pressure to the district, requesting information, class schedules, and policy updates.

Pennington Is Appointed to the School Board

All this planning reached a turning point when a school board member resigned, and the board needed to select a replacement. Jeremie Pennington applied for the position and was hired on March 14, 2022. The following week, Pennington told a local news outlet that the school district would allow Lifewise to rent space on school property. “That is a huge savings for us,” Pennington said, indicating it would save money by renting space at the school. Pennington also said that the district met with attorneys to confirm it was “OK” to have the religious program on school property during the school day.

Pennington further stated that the district would send letters to students about Lifewise starting in the fall. He also mentioned that the board of education would vote next month to approve the released time policy, officially allowing Lifewise to operate in the district. Pennington said he was stepping away from the Lifewise committee to remove the conflict of interest. This was after the board had already agreed to pass the policy, send flyers to students, and rent a room to Lifewise.

This represented a blatant disregard for Ohio laws, Ohio Attorney General opinions, Federal Supreme Court cases, and the local school board policy.

For reference, here is a brief list of the legal reasons Elmwood is incorrect in permitting Lifewise on school property.

Ohio Attorney General Opinion 1988-001

“I shall consider first the question whether a board of education may, as a general matter, formulate and implement a policy that permits high school students to be excused from attendance during regular school hours for the purpose of receiving religious instruction off school property.”

Ohio Attorney General Opinion 2019-015

“You have requested an opinion about the implementation of a school district’s policy permitting students to be released from school to attend a course in religious instruction that is conducted by a private entity off school property.”

Ohio Revised Code 3313.6022 (A)

(A) As used in this section, "released time" means a period of time during which a student is excused from school to attend a course in religious instruction conducted by a private entity off school district property.

Zorach vs. Clauson (1952)

“so that they may leave the school buildings and grounds and go to religious centers for religious instruction or”

Elmwood Board Policy 5223

Students shall be provided "released time" during the school day to attend a course in religious instruction conducted by a private sponsoring entity that is provided off of District property.

Elmwood Local School District and Lifewise Academy established, from the outset, a lack of limits on coercion and integration, shaping how Lifewise would be promoted, favored, and prioritized over school staff and educational programs in favor of a religious Bible program.

Before Lifewise classes began, the school district provided a phone extension within the district-wide phone system and set up computers and printers. The district also added Lifewise staff to the district email service and included them in the Elmwood Staff email group.

In May 2022, a staff member asked Superintendent Borton which room they could use. Borton suggested that they look around the main building or share space with Health or Lifewise. Borton admitted there wouldn’t be much available for the staff member.

One year later, in May 2023, Borton responded to Lifewise Academy’s inquiry about renting a different room at the school district’s other building. Borton told Lifewise that a room would be available, giving them their own dedicated space. He also asked Lifewise twice to meet to view a possible new room they could rent and offered them furniture.

The contrast between the two interactions with Borton is striking. When a district-employed teacher asks for a room, Borton suggests they look around for an open space, possibly one they can share. When Lifewise asks about a room, they are offered a dedicated space and furniture.

This is in direct contradiction to the Elmwood Local School Board Policy “7510 - USE OF DISTRICT PREMISES AND MOTORIZED EQUIPMENT.”

This policy provides guidelines for community organizations using the school’s property. Read the full policy, but the sections related to what Lifewise is doing are,

“The Board of Education believes that the school premises should be made available for community purposes, provided that such use does not infringe on the original and necessary purpose of the property or interfere with the educational program of the schools.”

“D. community organizations or groups of individuals primarily comprised of District residents/members of the community, including students (during non-school hours) and employees (when not working in the scope of their employment) formed or gathered for charitable, civic, social, religious, recreational (e.g., indoor or outdoor games or physical activities, either organized or unorganized, that are undertaken for exercise, relaxation, diversion, sport, or pleasure), and/or educational purposes, provided such meetings and/or entertainment is nonexclusive and open to the general public.”

There is no excuse for the School Board or the Superintendent to ignore school policies and allow a released-time religious instruction program to operate on school property. Two school board policies clearly state that religious organizations must operate off school property during the school day, or during “non-school hours” if on school property. The school administration claims they consulted with their attorneys, but I doubt any attorney would have advised them to violate their own policies or state and federal laws.

Elmwood Teachers Promoting Lifewise in The School

In October 2023, Borton discussed a “Lifewise posting” with three staff members. Borton said the conversation is not disciplinary for now, and he hopes there will be no “legal action” resulting from it. He followed up those discussions with an email that included a letter.

“As a follow up to our meeting, LifeWise is allowed to take the students during the day if parents have signed up for this (Policy 5223-Released Time for Religious Instruction). Staff members should not encourage or discourage students and families from signing up for this outside activity that takes place during the school day. We must stay neutral. Staff members should not do anything that would encourage or show favoritism to religion, including wearing Life Wise clothing during the day.

By following these steps, we can remain neutral on the concept of Released Time for Religious Instruction.”

Tony Borton, Elmwood Local Schools Superintendent

Superintendent Borton was either advised or already aware that the school was violating neutrality requirements related to Lifewise Academy’s operation. These issues involved more than Lifewise; Borton also instructed staff not to promote before- or after-school programs like FCA (Fellowship of Christian Athletes). On the same day as the Lifewise disciplinary event, Borton directed staff not to promote FCA in the morning announcements and reminded them that FCA is to be student-led, not teacher-led.

This email about FCA shows that teachers were trying to arrange substitutes so they could attend an FCA event. Read that again. School staff were requesting substitutes so they could attend a religious service on school property during the school day.

Lifewise Improves Academic Performance

The Elmwood teachers who advertised Lifewise claimed the program would improve the academic performance of students. This is the lie that won’t die from Lifewise. They claim a study they paid for supports this. It does not. The study said it was a “theory” that the academic performance would improve. Elmwood allowed students to miss Library to attend Lifewise. They also impacted speech and other therapy sessions. Here are emails stating this.

Here are the English/Language Arts scores for Elmwood Elementary students from the Ohio Student Recovery Dashboard. A 5% drop from 2022 to 2025. (Lifewise started in 2022) Is this caused by removing students from Library, speech, and other interventions? If scores in those areas were going down, I can’t imagine any educator would agree to remove students from instructional time focused on those areas. But Elmwood did.

Supreme Court Rulings

Lifewise Academy repeatedly insists that the Supreme Court case Zorach v. Clauson (1952) grants them the right to operate legally. While Zorach held that released time was legal, it also established many guidelines for how these programs can function. The most important, in my opinion — and the one Elmwood is repeatedly getting wrong — is the neutrality ruling of the case. The court’s opinion states that schools should remain neutral and not coerce or persuade students. The school should simply release students and neither support nor endorse the program, nor oppose it.

“The present record indeed tells us that the school authorities are neutral in this regard, and do no more than release students whose parents so request. If, in fact, coercion were used, if it were established that any one or more teachers were using their office to persuade or force students to take the religious instruction, a wholly different case would be presented.”

Zorach v. Clauson (1952)

Teachers have persuaded students. School administration has done much more than just create a policy to release students at a parent’s request. The school has provided facilities, logistical support, advertising, marketing, and numerous other resources, all made available by the publicly funded school system.

“Here not only are the State’s tax-supported public school buildings used for the dissemination of religious doctrines. The State also affords sectarian groups an invaluable aid in that it helps to provide pupils for their religious classes through use of the State’s compulsory public school machinery. This is not separation of Church and State.”

McCollum v. Board of Education (1948)

McCollum ruled that religious instruction cannot occur on public school property during school hours. The Elmwood school board policies reflect this legal ruling, and Ohio state law also supports it. The Ohio Attorney General has issued multiple opinions backing this. Despite that, Elmwood continues to violate all of these rules. The Elmwood school administration has reprimanded staff for actions they are also guilty of.

Who will hold them accountable?

Lifewise Academy, in the Patrick Henry Local Schools, uses a spreadsheet in Google Drive to track enrollment and share attendance information with the school. These documents for the 2024-25 and 2025-26 school years have contained student name, teacher’s name, medical, IEP, and allergy information. At the request of a Lifewise local board member who is also a Patrick Henry teacher, the spreadsheet was made available to anyone with the link. See the email below.

This same scenario occurred in the Elmwood School District (Bloomdale, Ohio). The forms that parents had filled out were shared in a spreadsheet, which was made public via the link. This document contains contact info and private information for over 100 families.

Lifewise Academy has 1,750 employees and 10,000 volunteers, according to CEO Joel Penton in a September 2025 interview. That creates a very wide scope for potential problems. This demonstrates how easily this mistake could happen. I am not familiar with the organization’s hierarchy, from corporate staff to classroom volunteers, but if a board member asks, someone will respond. Training staff and volunteers on all these security issues is a monumental challenge. Fortunately, Google offers tools to prevent such issues, but it’s clear Lifewise has not put them in place.

The Lifewise enrollment forms ask for personal information and allow parents to authorize the school to share any data it deems appropriate with Lifewise.

Technical Details

The security setting “anyone with the link” means the file is accessible to anyone on the internet who knows the URL. This seems secure initially. Lifewise and the school shared the link with a few dozen teachers and staff members who need it. However, the reality of data security on the internet is more complicated. All private information should be protected with authentication and be auditable. Once a file is set to “anyone,” there’s no way to know who is accessing it.

Here is a short list of common ways data can be

• If an email account is compromised through a phishing attack, password list, or any other method, the file will be exposed. Millions of email accounts are compromised daily.

• Staff could accidentally or on purpose email the link to the wrong people. With no authentication required, anyone could access it.

• Individuals with access may be fired or leave, but they could still access the file via the link.

• Clicking the link could log the URL on every network or server device through which the data passes. Any number of people could attempt to access it, and with no authentication required, they would see the information.

• Google, Bing, and all other search engines could index the file and make it available, increasing people's ability to see it.

• The security issue was found through a public records request, which anyone can do. It is not uncommon.

This isn’t an exhaustive list of how the data could be compromised, but it's the most common ways.

It is disappointing that Lifewise has not commented on the online exposure of students' private information. Using Google Drive links appears to be Lifewise's preferred method for sharing enrollment lists with schools.

Lifewise has plans to expand to 10% of schools by 2030. This would be a 10-fold increase from their current size. Potentially requiring the management of over half a million students’ records by a company with very relaxed security protocols for data privacy.

Here are more emails showing Lifewise using shared Google Drive spreadsheets to distribute data to the schools.

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See the Lifewise map and find your district at https://respectpublicschools.com/

School teachers were required to sit through a presentation about a religious program, asked to pray for the program, donate, and find volunteers.

The Supreme Court case Zorach vs. Clauson states:

The present record indeed tells us that the school authorities are neutral in this regard, and do no more than release students whose parents so request. If, in fact, coercion were used, if it were established that any one or more teachers were using their office to persuade or force students to take the religious instruction, a wholly different case would be presented.

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no announcement of any kind will be made in the public schools relative to the program [rule 1]

Zorach vs. Clauson (1952)

The school allowing a teacher to present a religious group during a mandatory meeting goes against the neutrality requirements the Supreme Court ruled were required for released time to be legal.

Lifewise Academy repeats three talking points from the case: off school property, privately funded, and parent approval. They ignore the neutrality statements and never mention the “no announcements” clause.

Shortly after this meeting, a few school employees created a video to promote a community meeting to gather support for Lifewise Academy. This video was coordinated by school employees, shot on the school property, and showed students praying in the school. The students clearly had to be coached to pray to shoot the video; the voice-over was completed by a student, the school staff shared the video with Lifewise, and a Lifewise “Health Coach” communicated with the school staff to approve the video. Lifewise communicated with the school staff to approve a video that the school made. Lifewise Academy is fully aware that the level of integration occurring in public schools is illegal. The emails showing the video's creation timeline, its sending to Lifewise, and its approval are below.

Lifewise Does Not Train Local Staff on School Neutrality

This mindset that the public school is now meant to lead students to the church and remaining neutral with regard to religion is no longer mandatory can be seen in other ways.

The school principal instructed the students’ aides to accompany them to Lifewise. This was in 2022. Three years later, a Lifewise program asked a school district what their protocol is for sending aides with students on IEPs, and ff the school would allow aides to come along in unique situations. Lifewise Academy and school districts have been repeatedly told that aides cannot attend a released-time program. Lifewise does not want to inform their employees, the schools, or the public about all the regulations that released time programs are required to comply with. I assume Lifewise plays dumb or pushes schools to see how much they can get away with.

Lifewise Academy supplies schools with lists of questions that identify areas prohibited by law or that could create legal issues for the district. Lifewise has received clarification on these issues many times before, but still approaches districts with the same questions. Lifewise wants the schools to face these situations because the school can be held liable, and as of now, Lifewise has never been legally held accountable for breaking the law.

Lifewise Is Not Following Standard Bus Trip Protocols

Schools have strict policies and procedures to follow when students are removed for field trips. Although not a school-sponsored event, Lifewise Academy has a comparable process. Taking attendance when boarding the bus each time is critical to prevent students from being left behind. In Decatur, Indiana, Lifewise left a student behind in the classroom. The child walked across town and was helped by members of the public to return to school. A South Central Local Schools teacher reported that Lifewise left before a student was on the bus. These issues might seem minor, but if a pattern emerges, people should be aware when an incident involves student safety. In this case, the student was left at school, but if it happened at the other end of the trip, the child could be left in an empty classroom, like the Decatur incident. Student sign-in and sign-out processes are strictly managed by the schools. Knowing a student's location at all times is vital for safety procedures, especially during emergencies.

Lifewise does not help a school district. These are just a few examples of Lifewisde being the catalyst for the misuse of the school’s time, teachers being forced to sit through religious presentations, and questionable student safety policies.

Find your district at https://respectpublicschools.com/

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Here's the updated story. The Village Administrator asked me to "correct" the story and get the facts before posting again. The ordinance passed by the Village of Ansonia authorized the Darke County CIC to act as an agent to sell the property for the Village. The Darke County auditor has no record of a deed transferring the property from the Village to the Ansonia Foundation. The deed says that Darke County CIC was the "agent" for the Village. Not that the property was transferred to Carke County CIC. The Village is trying to erase the paper trail of the activity online.

Property Transfer Village Ordinance

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The Ansonia Village Administrator was clear that I needed to correct the story, when the reality is, I think the story is correct.

The signed page states that Darke County CIC was acting as an agent for the Village. The Village did not transfer the property to the Darke County CIC.

I stand behind my statement that the Government of the Village of Ansonia, Ohio, is funding religion. The Ansonia Foundation was created at the request of Lifewise. The Village of Ansonia and the Darke County CIC are both complicit in using public funds for a religious entity that Ohio law prohibits.

ORIGINAL ARTICLE

Lifewise Academy - Ansonia, Ohio, had the grand opening of its new building on February 28, 2026. Lifewise has been planning to receive land for a new Lifewise Academy building since October 2024.

The sale was completed on August 11, 2025. The Village Administrator originally said the Village would be transferring the property to the Darke County Economic Development organization. But it appears they gave to diretly to Lifewise Academy and did not require any payment.

The Village has violated state law by funding a released-time religious instruction program.

(5) No public funds are expended and no public school personnel are involved in providing the religious instruction.

Ohio Revised Code 3313.6022

Every. Single. Attorney. Will say that donated property, materials, supplies, etc, are funds. The Village of Ansonia expended funds to support a released-time religious instruction program.

The Village will argue that they did not donate the land to Lifewise Academy; they donated it to the Ansonia Foundation. While this is technically correct, the Ansoia Foundation is Lifewise Academy under a different name. Lifewise has a corporate policy stating that it does not own property. They require Lifewise programs create a separate entity.

Filing For A 501c3

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A new non-profit was created to own the building for Lifewise. The State of Ohio Articles of Incorporation for the foundation show that 2 of the 3 signing members of the foundation are also a part of Lifewise Academy.

Ansonia Foundation State Filing

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The majority of the Ansonia Foundation's members are board members or employees of Lifewise Academy. The grand opening was advertised as the ribbon-cutting for the new Lifewise Academy building. The Lifewise students lined up holding the ribbon as it was cut. The building is for Lifewise Academy. This is a religious ministry supported by public funds.

On the Lifewise Ansonia podcast, the director discussed how the building could be used by businesses in the area. Although she had to backtrack that statement because they can’t have anyone using it during the day when classes are being held. It would be available on weekends and evenings for events. This is used as the argument that it is a community-driven project.

The community will pay Lifewise to rent a building that was, in part, paid for with public funds. The rental income will fund the Lifewise mission to remove students from public schools during the school day. Taxpayer funds helped to create a religious entity that will generate revenue to support another religious entity. The general public will not see any return on this. Those individuals who participate in and support Lifewise are excited. But the government is helping to fund a religious entity.

The land, compared to the total size of the project, is small. And Lifewise Academy should pay for it.

In this video, the clear message that every person who does not attend church is unkind and incapable of compassion is stated. This is the message that Lifewise Patrick Henry chose to create and share with the community.

Not all of these kids belong to homes that go to church every week.
But in having this program, they have the opportunity to come here.
They’re going to see that they can be kind, they can be generous, they can be compassionate
They don’t have to be like the others around them.
Abbigail Johnstone, Lifewise Academy Teacher

The worst part is, it’s not shocking at all. The Lifewise curriculum includes lessons that instruct teachers to role-play and to demonstrate that kids who don’t attend church are “bad”. The idea that homes that do not attend a church that Lifewise Academy approves of are not kind, compassionate, or generous is gross.

This video was on-brand for Lifewise. The goal of Lifewise is to create evangelists who will return to the schools. The COO of Lifewise has repeated this in recent interviews. The public schools have become Lifewise Academy's playground.

Lifewise is conditioning students to believe that those who do not attend are bad and incapable of kindness. Understanding that public school staff are on the Lifewise board, approving the messaging, and supporting the idea that students who attend Lifewise are kind and compassionate, while other students are not, is disgusting. And it’s even worse that these comments are not off-the-cuff or taken out of context; they were curated and edited specifically for a promotional video.

If you think community is built on calling people who have a different religious view than you bad people, then you are putting hatred into the world.

Read more at https://respectpublicschools.com/

The policy also states that the RTRI program “will complete a background check equivalent to the District's.” During the December 19, 2024, board meeting, a board member asked to see the background checks and the MOU. These requests were never fulfilled because they do not exist. The board was aware that they were violating the policy.

The school board president recently decided to address the issue, but it’s unclear whether or when the board will do so.

You can fall on any end of the spectrum when it comes to your thoughts on schools coordinating with RTRI and releasing students during the school day. But everyone should agree that school board policies should be followed at all times.

The district has a board policy that requires Lifewise staff to complete specific criminal background checks. These are not clerical or scheduling issues. These are policies that parents would assume are being followed, but are clearly not.

Anyone connected/associated/employed by the entity will complete a background check equivalent to the District's.

Southwest Licking Board Policy - JEFB

Public schools have become Lifewise Academy’s playground. They have been allowed to violate school board policies, state law, and federal law. School employees have been integral to this lack of oversight. If the board of education cannot hold Lifewise accountable, the same disregard for policies and laws regarding RTRI will be ignored at all levels.

Read more at https://respectpublicschools.com/

Read the article below about a school district that integrated with Lifewise and allowed students to be negatively impacted by Lifewise.

The principal said she was open to ideas for solving the problem. It is hard to convey, in writing, how ignorant this message is, but I’ll try. What the *&%$! The principal contacted the outside organization whose mission is to remove students from school during the school day and asked how they can get the time students are missing back. The principal is responsible for the education of all the students in the middle school, and she cannot think of a solution to the school's lack of time for students.

A week later, the principal emailed Lifewise again, stating that a student was falling behind in school, in part, because of Lifewise.

Lifewise Academy says, “They come alongside administrators and teachers to support their mission of serving students.” The actions of Lifewise staff at the Patrick Henry schools show that Lifewise's focus is on removing students from school to attend Bible classes, not on supporting their education.

The timing of this email was before Ohio changed its law requiring schools to have a policy and to collaborate with religious programs like Lifewise. The school had more options than it does currently, yet nothing was done. The following school year, the principal met with Lifewise and told them that students with IEPs would be considered on a case-by-case basis for attendance at Lifewise. See email below.

Less than one month after the principal said she would make a determination on whether students could miss IEP services, she had a conversation with teachers about students not meeting their IEP service minutes. The principal verified that the IEPs would be modified to reduce the number of minutes to meet the IEPs' requirements. It is not known if the parents approved these changes to the IEPs. A record request has been sent to the district for this information. If it becomes available, the article will be updated. Read the email exchange below.

The Patrick Henry Local Schools have been allowing Lifewise to negatively impact the education of students. The administrators say this, and the teachers say this.

Patrick Henry Schools Not Following Their Own Policies

The Patrick Henry administration has been coordinating with Lifewise to break Ohio law and their own school board policies. Ohio law states:

(3) Transportation to and from the place of instruction, including transportation for students with disabilities, is the complete responsibility of the sponsoring entity, parent, guardian, or student.

The school board policy states:

“Transportation of students to and from Released Time instruction is the sole responsibility of the sponsoring entity, the parent, guardian, and/or student. The Board of Education, its members, and employees are immune from liability for any injuries arising from transportation to and from Released Time instruction. Further, no Board funds will be expended for, and no District personnel shall be involved in the provision of religious instruction.”

The school district has allowed Lifewise to use the district’s buses and drivers. The first agreement was signed in January 2024 and renewed in May 2025. The state law and local school policies state that transportation is completely the responsibility of Lifewise.

The original contract was for $2.14/mile and $32/hour. The renewed contract in 2025 dropped the hourly fee and raised the mileage fee to $3.50/mile. Lifewise requested that the district drop the hourly fee, and the district agreed.

Public school districts can enter into contracts with non-profit organizations, but state law requires that released time programs be fully responsible for transportation. This provision was meant to stop schools and public funds from being used to facilitate the program. Patrick Henry has ignored this.

A records request for all invoices and payments between Lifewise Academy and the district has been submitted. This article will be updated as more information is available.

School Staff Supporting Lifewise

During the elementary and middle school open houses, public school staff facilitated the setup of tables for Lifewise staff and distributed signs, postcards, and flyers throughout the school and to each classroom.

A student who had been un-enrolled from Lifewise was incorrectly sent several times to Lifewise the following year. After the error was discovered, the Lifewise staff tried to contact the student’s parent, but they did not have the correct phone number. The school staff provided Lifewise with the current phone number to enroll the child. The school disclosed private information that no one from the public should have access to. Read the email exchange below.

Patrick Henry Schools are ignoring the biggest part of the Supreme Court case that made released time legal. The schools must be neutral regarding the religious program. The Supreme Court case states:

There is a suggestion that the system involves the use of coercion to get public school students into religious classrooms. There is no evidence in the record before us that supports that conclusion. The present record indeed tells us that the school authorities are neutral in this regard, and do no more than release students whose parents so request. If, in fact, coercion were used, if it were established that any one or more teachers were using their office to persuade or force students to take the religious instruction, a wholly different case would be presented.

Zorach v. Clauson (1952)

The district has supported Lifewise logistically and financially. They have modified IEPs to keep students in Lifewise and have allowed the use of school equipment, resources, and staff time. Lifewise Academy and the schools are not neutral. Lifewise has a negative impact on students’ ability to complete schoolwork and on the school's ability to provide the full instruction they have agreed to.

Lifewise Asked The Schools to Support Its Legislation

The superintendent had several exchanges with the Lifewise director. These included Lifewise asking the school to support their lobbying efforts. The superintendent indicated that any legislation to force the schools to provide more time for religious instruction would have a negative impact on the schools.

The legislation Lifewise lobbied for was passed at the end of 2024. Lifewise also helped secure more legislation in the 2025 Ohio budget bill. This forced schools to set aside 33 periods to remove students for religious studies. Lifewise has forced the schools to coordinate with them, and they are now using that as leverage to get more instruction time removed from students. The superintendent had only negative things to say about this legislation. Full email (PDF)

Angel-

Yes, the budget bill did contain some language about RTRI. It states districts must prohibit at least 33 hours a year. I have no idea how we, or any district, would be able to do that without major schedule overhauls.

The budget does not become law until mid October.

I have no idea how we will be able to make this work. The program design is a partnership between the provider and the district. We will need some time to even develop options for any grade above 4th grade.

We will be in touch.

Thanks,

Josh Biederstedt
Patrick Henry Local Schools, Superintendent

The Lifewise director, Angel Henry, replied with options that all required the school to adjust schedules or remove students from more instructional time. Lifewise did not offer to compromise with the school.

Josh,

I am sorry to hear that this bill has passed and is making things so difficult for the district. Our goal is to be a blessing to the families and the school staff as we work in partnership to do what is best for the students.

I have been in prayer over how to move forward with this news knowing 1) the school can no longer deny RTRI to any grade, and 2) We have a program that is successful and wanted in this community and 3) We do not want to force anything on the school or come in as demanding or ungrateful in any way. It is my heart and the heart of my board to bless the school while blessing the students.

With that said, I have some questions.

We completed the year with 5th grade last year during study hall. Are you saying we will not be able to continue in August with that schedule? When I met with Kayleen in May, we discussed sticking with the study hall opt-out for LifeWise classes for 5th and 6th grades. We would take the Tuesday and Wednesday Study Hall blocks, with 6th coming at 1:20 and 5th coming at 2:15. I understand you may need to do a complete schedule overhaul to meet the new requirements but I imagine students will still be having these study halls until that overhaul is completed. Is that still on the table?

If we have to have 33 hours per year, would that mean the elementary schedule would be changing to provide 1 full hour for Lifewise?

We usually start the second week of school and leave off at the end of April. This year, that will be 33 weeks of LifeWise Classes. For Middle School, this may need to look different, with state testing being in April. We can certainly work around that schedule to meet their needs and come back after state testing.

There are a lot of options already working for middle schools all across the state of Ohio and across America. Those include 9-week classes run like any other special, added as an option to their specials list. Combining Pats+Lunch to make a one-hour class once a week. Opting out of a year-long special once per week for the year. We have gone with opting out of study hall once per week, which I think has worked well.

I look forward to working with you to provide this educational opportunity for our district.

Angel Henry
Director

The Lifewise director saying she is sorry for the passing of the legislation is hilarious. The organization she works for lobbied for this legislation. Every dollar donated to Patrick Henry helped fund the efforts of Lifewise to lobby the legislature and get these laws changed. The phone call is coming from within the house! Lifewise has the ability to take time away from schools, and schools are now left to figure it out. There is no actual evidence that Lifewise improves the school in any way. The schools are now fully functioning as marketing tools for a religious organization.

Lifewise has publicly said they want to see public schools abolished, and this is the start, take away the schools’ time.

The Freedom From Religion Foundation recently sent a letter to Elmwood Local Schools instructing them to cease allowing Lifewise to use the building on school property.

Ohio Revised Code Section 3313.6022 states the bible classes must be “conducted by a private entity off school district property.” The Supreme Court case Zorach v. Clauson, which Lifewise Academy uses as the basis for its existence, mandates that the program must be off school grounds. Lifewise Academy has stated that it must operate off school property. Watch the montage of Lifewise employees stating Lifewise operates “off school property.”

The school district and Lifewise have a lease agreement until 2026. The latest agreement is from 2023-2026 and charges Lifewise $4,500 a year for use of the space. This agreement is between the school district and Lifewise. Not a community center. Full lease agreement.

The lease between Elmwood Schools and Lifewise also states that Lifewise will arrange for and be responsible for telephone and internet services. The district allowed Lifewise to use the district’s internet and phones.

The school district has been aware of the issues with Lifewise since September 2023, probably earlier. An email between Superintendent Tony Borton and Lifewise shows they were told that the program cannot be on school property, but the superintendent feels it’s ok because they pay rent. The school district also set up an email for Lifewise, gave them internet access, and access to phones. If leasing space to Lifewise is ok, it would be assumed that the school could have charged for the other services, and that would have also been ok. Read the email.

Borton asked Lifewise employees and school staff to tone down the religious communications until the school is “not under the radar.” Borton also states that the school has “spent enough on legal” over the religious issues. The emails also show how Lifewise sends students back to school with cards to hand out to the other students.

The superintendent contacted a corporate Lifewise employee shortly after this, informing them that they are facing legal issues regarding the program. A school board member asked the superintendent to send this email. It’s not clear what was discussed, but the school board, administration, and Lifewise were all aware of the program's problems since 2023.

Several months after the school board, administration, and teachers were all aware of the problems with Lifewise operating on school property and using school resources such as email, internet, and phones, the superintendent let staff know that the district is crossing the line with regard to religious announcements in the school.

Superintendent Threatens Staff With Disciplinary Action for Lifewise Postings

In 2023 and 2024, Elwmood Schools was challenged regarding its use of school property and resources for Lifewise. The district and administration were assisting Lifewise by allowing them on school property and providing access to the internet, phones, etc. During this same period, the superintendent threatened employees for posting about Lifewise. Read the email.

The school board and administration were breaking Ohio statute and federal case law. Lifewise local and corporate staff were also aware of the problems. No action was ever taken against the administration, but the school teachers and staff were being reprimanded for following the administration's example.

Students on IEP Asked to Forfeit Hours

Students on IEPs could have their hours met during the same period that the district allowed Lifewise to operate. The school day is structured to give all teachers, aides, and special needs staff access to students so they can meet each student's needs. When Lifewise started, the special needs staff were unable to meet all IEP requirements. The school created a form to release itself from any legal liability for failing to meet the IEP requirements.

The Legal Requirements

Released time programs, like Lifewise, are legal when operated in accordance with federal, state, and school board policies. Zorach vs. Clauson (1952), the Supreme Court case that upheld released time as being legal. The case was heavily decided based on the premise that the school was not doing anything more than releasing students to attend a religious instruction program.

“The present record indeed tells us that the school authorities are neutral in this regard, and do no more than release students whose parents so request. If, in fact, coercion were used, if it were established that any one or more teachers were using their office to persuade or force students to take the religious instruction, a wholly different case would be presented.”

Zorach vs Clauson (1952)

At a local planning meeting for Lifewise in the neighboring Lakota School District (Kansas, OH), Lifewise board members and volunteers from the Lifewise Elmwood program also attended. The representatives from Elmwood also commented that attendance varies across classes and grades, but those classes with Christian teachers have higher enrollment. The class Elmwood chose to remove students from to attend Lifewis is library. The Elmwood Lifewise representatives also said the librarian was not happy about this, but “they got over it.”

The level of cooperation and assistance between the Elmwood Local School District and Lifewise Academy is not in compliance with the ruling in the federal case or Ohio law. Both the school district and Lifewise have been aware of this for years. Both have communicated about it, and both have ignored it. Public schools are to remain neutral, and Elmwood is not.

Read more and see the Lifewise Academy map at https://respectpublicschools.com/

See the full calendar pages with Lifewise events.

At the end of 2023, Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost sent a letter to every school district stating that released time is legal and schools “need not worry” about working with programs like Lifewise Academy. He chooses to quote Zorach, “If a school simply allows students to leave, according to parents’ wishes and without public funds, the school is honoring religious liberty, not violating any rules against establishing a state religion.” He fails to mention Lifewise programs that have ignored the Supreme Court ruling, operated on school property, adjusted schedules to benefit released-time programs, allowed schools to rent buses to Lifewise, and adjusted student IEPs because of Lifewise. Lifewise is not a program where students are simply released to them. It is a tightly knit collaboration between a religious entity and the public schools.

The following year (2024), House Bill 445 was introduced by Representative Gary Click to change Ohio’s released time religious instruction (RTRI) law from “may” to “shall.” This bill would force school districts to collaborate with Lifewise Academy. This bill would eventually become a part of House Bill 8, the “Parents’ Bill of Rights” legislation, and was passed at the very end of 2024.

Ohio has been ground zero for Lifewise Academy and a case study for what happens when the government promotes a single religious entity. 60% of school districts in Ohio have or are in the process of having Lifewise operating in them.

The impact on the public schools isn’t even known. Countless hours of class are missed every week. The teachers who have been forced to modify their lesson plans and schedules for the ministry. The students who did not sign up but are now impacted by Lifewise.

The current iteration of released time from Lifewise Academy is not in keeping with the original spirit of the law, and the Supreme Court could not have foreseen a multi-million-dollar organization using public schools as its marketing platform. We need to speak up and hold public officials accountable, and keep the public schools neutral.

Read more about Lifewise and view the Lifewise map at https://respectpublicschools.com/

View the Lifewise Academy Map

“Taking Away” From Things in the School

Lifewise Academy will say students are missing classes, but it’s the parents’ choice. It does not affect students who do not attend.

This myth is a lie. In Tiffin, second- and third-grade students eat lunch on a rotating schedule, and not all grades eat at the same time due to logistical constraints. This schedule would make it difficult to coordinate sending an entire grade out of school simultaneously, according to the administration.

This means the school will have to find a different time. The principal decided to use the “Library” class for this time. The library class supports keyboarding, technology, reading, and other student services. The state test requires students to demonstrate keyboarding skills. Regardless of the state test, the district has also prioritized typing and technology. This is supported by multiple emails obtained through a public records request.

The school is already concerned about having enough time to prepare students as needed, and Lifewise hasn’t even started. The principal informs Lifewise that the schedule had already been modified to support Lifewise by adding a second Library period, so students attending Lifewise will not be behind. This also prompted the Library teacher to question why their planning time was reduced by adding a second third-grade class.

These few emails make it clear that schools are adjusting schedules and practices to accommodate a religious program. Scheduling will always involve compromises, but making a religious program the reason for these changes is wrong. The district also discussed adding more Library and Technology class time, but how does this work with a religious program that requires the school to accommodate it?

Lifewise plans to operate in every grade at Tiffin City Schools. This issue will only become larger as they push the school for more time. In an email, you can see the Lifewise director already asking about second grade.

The Lifewise Academy director has downplayed the fact that students miss class, that schools are adjusting schedules, and the effect this has on other students' learning. All because Lifewise has chosen to make the public schools its mission field. Lifewise will claim they are operating legally and have the “right” to do this. While Lifewise can operate legally under state and federal laws and guidelines, Lifewise Academy may choose to operate in ways that support students and teachers. After school. Released time (Lifewise) is not a right, and no court has ever recognized it as a constitutional right.

These disruptions and problems are being forced onto the school by Lifewise Academy’s selfishness.

The Director of Lifewise Academy in Tiffin claims that Lifewise is “taking away” class time. It is absurd for the director to find it ironic or to mock the fact that students and teachers not enrolled in Lifewise are affected. Schools should not serve as extensions of religious organizations; instead, they are spaces that accommodate individuals of all faiths and none. Clearly, Lifewise has failed to recognize that alternative views and beliefs exist.

Child Safety and Background Checks

The Tiffin City Schools released time policy states:

Respect Public Schools requested all records of these checks to verify they had been completed. No records were returned from the school. No correspondence indicates that Lifewise or the school district has inquired about their completion. Parents would assume the district's safety procedures are being implemented, but there is no evidence to support this.

Lifewise Academy claims student safety is its number one priority. But they have not complied with the school’s background check requirements. Emails from Lifewise indicate they planned to start on December 2, 2025, but when the school district did not distribute enrollment applications, Lifewise postponed the program launch. Prior to this date, there was no record of background checks being completed and provided to the district.

The school and Lifewise agreed to launch at the beginning of the term, February 23, 2026. With more than two months of additional time to complete and provide the background checks, Lifewise still has not done so.

The Problem Lifewise Created

The situation Tiffin City Schools finds themselves in is not unique. School districts have been speaking out and pushing back against released time as Lifewise has spread. (Districts that rejected Lifewise) In response, Lifewise Academy lobbied the state legislature to change Ohio law and force public school districts to collaborate. Lifewise Academy is now in over 50% of Ohio public school districts. The law change accelerated Lifewise’s growth and forced schools to allow the program.

During the bill's hearing, a Lifewise attorney, Matt Krause of First Liberty Institute, testified that released time is not a right. It can be legal, but is not required to be offered. That did not stop Lifewise from pushing the Ohio legislature to pass the bill and change the law to remove a school district's ability to choose how it coordinates with external entities, such as Lifewise Academy.

While schools navigate their position, there is still work to be done. Speak to your school board. Mandate that good policy be passed. Also, mandate that those policies be enforced. If third-party organizations cannot comply with the policies, they should not be permitted to continue operating within the district.

Lifewise Academy created this issue and can control its impact on the schools. How they choose to operate should be seen as the true indicator of how they feel about the public schools.

Read the public records request.

See the full public records request response.

Read more about Lifewise, RTRI, and see the Lifewise map at https://respectpublicschools.com/

Lifewise has changed the laws and launched a coordinated effort to schedule classes during teacher-led time to encourage students to leave school. Joel Penton, the CEO of Lifewise, has stated, “Public schools should be abolished, maybe.” He has held interviews discussing how the Christian church owns the federal, state, and local governments, along with the public schools. Comparing themselves to Ceaser ruling Rome.

Another area Lifewise targets is science. Evolution has long been a target of the fundamentalist churches, but science in general is now squarely in their sights. At the annual national Lifewise Summit held in Columbus, OH, founding board member Steve Hubbard gave a presentation telling all Lifewise employees not to stay silent when telling students that “science provides no solutions.” At the local level, the supporting church in Tiffin, OH, Calvary Chapel, has been adamant that science is satanic. These messages line up perfectly, and it’s clear why Calvary Chapel and Lifewise Academy have partnered. Listen to Calvary church call science satanic. Full sermon can be heard at https://calvarychapeltiffin.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/8.8.21-Genesis-1.2-31-1.mp3

Tiffin City Schools recently hired an interim superintendent, Greg Williamson, who was the superintendent at Liepsic Local Schools from 2012 until 2026. While under his supervision, Liepsic Public Schools held a Bible class on school property, in the elementary classrooms. Parents were required to opt out if they did not want their child to participate. Reports of bullying and physical abuse were reported by lawyers to the school district. The class was suspended in 2023, less than three years ago.

These encroachments did not happen by chance, and they will continue unless people speak up. Knowing the programs working to take time from schools, teachers, and students, while planting seeds that science is satanic, should be a troubling series of events. Go thank a science teacher today!

Read more and view the Lifewise map at https://respectpublicschools.com/

A quick rundown of issues. Lifewise lost a 7-year-old child who walked back to school by themselves without any intervention from Lifewise. Still no real answers. Lifewise was ready to open a program in a meeting room at a chemical factory. The factory had a registered sex offender who was employed. Questions about how this is allowed and how it would affect the individual's employment or status were never answered. Lifewise hosts a program on school property in the Elmwood Local School District (Bloomdale, OH), which is a clear violation of the law. Lifewise hosted classes in Newton Local School District’s athletic building, on school property. Again, a clear violation of the law. All of these have been brought to Lifewise, and no action or explanation has been given.

The local Tiffin, Ohio, director has stated that unless you have a student in the school district, they do not have an answer to questions. No one is asking personal or private questions. The public schools are funded by the community, and knowing how they operate is not private. The school district was required to create a policy to work with Lifewise. Previously, schools could choose not to coordinate with programs like Lifewise, but Lifewise lobbied the statehouse to change the law, forcing school districts to coordinate. Lifewise Tiffin has given presentations outside the school district, so speaking only to parents in Tiffin with students in Tiffin City Schools is not an issue.

The local program directors and teachers are trained by the support center staff at the Lifewise headquarters in Hilliard, OH. These trainings prepare local staff to start, operate, and maintain the programs. Everything from child safety, working with the schools, site logistics, and fundraising. I do not know how much legal or policy training is provided. Does the support center staff have a list of what is legally allowed and not? Do they adapt this to the specific state or district they are training for?

Emails from local Lifewise Directors to school staff have shed some light on this area. An email from the local director of the Tiffin, Ohio, chapter shows that Lifewise asked the school administration whether aides for students on IEPs will attend Lifewise with the students. This is a clear violation of the Ohio statute and local school policy.

Lifewise has no problem asking the district to break the law. Which makes you wonder, does Lifewise know this is a violation? Do they know but just want to see how far they can push it? Does the support center know but then leaves the local staff in the dark, and if a violation occurs, it shields the support center?

Lifewise Academy in Tiffin asked the school to send aides to Lifewise. This violates federal, state law, and local school policy. This also means Lifewise is asking school employees to be forced to attend a fundamentalist Christian bible study class with a curriculum from the Southern Baptist Convention. Assuming school staff would be comfortable attending this program shows a high level of entitlement from within the Lifewise Academy organization. This coincides with the message Lifewise uses that they own the government and schools.

A Christian ministry that lobbied the statehouse to force every school district in the state to work with them has issues when asked by those community members how the program operates. Read that again. This is insanity and the public schools are the marketing machine for this organization.

Read more and check the status of Lifewise in your school district at https://respectpublicschools.com/

It is completely mind-boggling that a public school, Lifewise, and local law enforcement have been unwilling and choose to be silent on the issue.

It’s a terrifying idea that an organization focused on children in kindergarten through 5th grade would not be honest and forthcoming about its policies and procedures regarding child safety, but this is not an isolated incident. Lifewise has been less than forthcoming or silent when questioned about their polices, procedures, and incidents.

Laws in Ohio and other states have been changing rapidly over the last couple of years, mainly at the hands of Lifewise. One area of focus is children’s safety. Public school district boards of education have begun requiring released-time religious instruction (RTRI) staff to undergo background checks at the same level as the school’s employees. When asked about the details of the background check process, Lifewise has always remained quiet. After being publicly criticised for using companies without background check procedures on par with BCI/FBI and other state agencies, Lifewise changed its provider. The new provider is still not on par with what school districts perform, but this showed Lifewie was probably aware of the problem.

I inquired about two Lifewise programs in Ohio. These districts require background checks for RTRI programs at the same level as the school district’s employees. Lifewise, in both cases, never responded to questions. The Tiffin Lifewise programs responded to a social media comment, and the results were alarming. When asked whether Lifewise would comply with the school board’s policy governing RTRI, they responded “no,” stating they would not require background checks at the same level as the school.

This is alarming for several reasons. First, because they are clearly not concerned about legally operating programs. Second, because it makes it clear that the training offered by the corporate-level Lifewise is not preparing the local directors to understand what school board policies are, how to understand and follow the policies, and how those policies interact with the state laws that Lifewise is also required to follow.

The local Lifewise program, which indicated they would not be following the school board’s policies, also took steps to silence me when trying to get answers to these questions. I sent an email asking five questions on May 22, 2025, and left a voicemail over 3 months later asking to talk.

Knowing the local program was scheduled to begin in the fall of 2025, I attended a church service hoping to speak to the director afterwards.

The director was not attending the service that day but was actually at a different church promoting Lifewise, less than 1,000 feet from my home. The service was good, everyone was friendly, and the director’s partner was more than willing to discuss things. But details like background checks, school policy, and scheduling were out of their knowledge. The conversation was great, and it’s really what this is about. Being able to discuss these things, still be neighbors, support each other, and make a stronger community.

Lifewise's response was to file an electronic harassment charge. For one email and one voicemail over a 90-day period to the business e-mail and phone of a non-profit organization. The body cam footage from the complaint tells a different story. The police officer who took the report commented that I wouldn’t be “happy until everyone was miserable”, I don’t want to believe facts, and that similar groups operate in the schools. The individual filing the complaint also told the officer that I had been to locations I had never been to, that the Lifewise legal team had tried to silence me previously but had not succeeded, and that they had heard I was unemployed and had nothing better to do.

The video below clearly shows that Lifewise Tiffin's director believes they are not removing students from classes. When they 100% are removing students from teachers. Using air quotes to describe taking students from classes as fake is insane behavior. If Lifewise Academy truly had the interest of the district in its heart, it would do this after school. The craziest part is that the director states that an after-school program already exists, and has for decades, actually.

The principal in Tiffin offered Lifewise class time, as they also did at their previous employer, Kenton City Schools, where they were also principal. Lifewise usually finds a friendly partner and uses that relationship to acquire class time from teachers. Based on public records requests in Ohio, Lifewise sees an average 120% increase in enrollment when class time is offered compared to lunch and recess. Turns out, kids like missing class and don’t like missing recess. Wonder how long it took them to crack that code.

The Lifewise Tiffin director and the officer discussed how religious groups “are asking for a seat at the table” when all other “causes” have one. No other group, cause, or non-profit is requesting to remove students from the school day to teach religion. Not a single one. The director and officer spoke about using facts and speaking truth, and it appears that neither is knowledgeable on the subject.

The police officer and the Lifewise Tiffin director never mentioned the First Amendment. When Lifewise feels school districts are not being open enough, they will use the First Amendment as their argument, but when someone speaks out against them and specifically points out the safety, logistics, and school engagement issues, the First Amendment argument is nowhere to be found.

In April of 2024, Lifewise Academy’s legal team sent me a cease-and-desist letter demanding that I remove my website. They claimed copyright infringement and threatened me with fifth-degree felony charges for causing harm to their organization. This letter was not based on any legal facts, and the police report Steve Clifton, the COO and CFO, filed charges against me, but the Hilliard police department said that no crime appears to have been committed

The cease-and-desist letter threatened me with a frivolous legal threat unless I took the website down. This violates the Ohio Supreme Court Code of Professional Responsibility. The Lifewise legal team probably knows that the punishment for such action is also frivolous, and if it would get a result in their favor, it’s worth the risk.

Listening to a police officer pile on with someone as they tell lies, secondhand information, and opinions is unsettling. Describing me as lazy, jobless, untruthful, etc, I understand the officer is there to take a report. The color commentary seemed a bit much.

Two weeks later, the Tiffin Police Department and Chief Dave Pauly would team up with Lifewise for a Bible-based book event at the Tiffin-Seneca Public Library sponsored by Lifewise. This event was branded by Lifewise; they had a table with information, everyone working the event wore Lifewise shirts, and the guest readers, except Chief Pauly, all wore Lifewise-branded shirts. Chief Pauly wore his uniform as this was an official outreach event.

The local county chamber of commerce spotlighted Lifewise on its website and social media, the police department participated in a Lifewise-sponsored event, and the Tiffin City Schools administration allocated a teacher’s time to a religious organization. And all of this happened with the use of public funds. When RTRI programs were ruled legal, one of the guidelines was that no public funds could be used.

The parent whose child was lost by Lifewise Academy in Decatur, IN, tried to file a report with the sheriff’s department. She was told the sheriff’s department wouldn’t investigate the event and that they couldn’t file a report. This same sheriff department sponsored fundraisers for Lifewise Academy. So, asking questions and making sure laws and school policies are being followed gets a harassment report filed against you, while losing a child is not an event that law enforcement is interested in.

Please understand that Lifewise Academy only has one goal. To convince churches, businesses, and volunteers to donate money to support their program. They will say whatever convinces people, but when the real issue of child safety is raised, they will not answer questions or engage. It’s disgusting behavior, and we need to make it known that it won’t be supported.

Learn more about RTRI and view a map of school districts and their status with Lifewise at https://respectpublicschools.com