Lifewise Academy Advertised By Public School Staff
School staff were required to listen to a Lifewise presentation during a staff meeting and district staff and students coordinated with Lifewise to create a promotional video.
South Central Local Schools, in Greenwich, Ohio, has provided assistance to Lifewise Academy and released students starting in October 2022. Before Lifewise officially started classes with students, teachers were required to attend a meeting discussing Lifewise Academy. This meeting was not described as logistical, to prepare staff for how Lifewise will operate within the school. The meeting was meant to inform staff who may not be familiar with Lifewise and to “really get things rolling” as enrollment was just starting. The meeting description also included asking for prayer, volunteers, and donations.
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.
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.
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