An 11-year-old is making headlines this week after attempting to bring an interfaith prayer club to her Washington elementary school and being told no. The same school allegedly approved a Pride club just one week prior.
Laura, a fifth-grader at Creekside Elementary School in Washington state, told Fox News that she was feeling alone in the classroom and the school at large as a young person with conviction. After learning that some friends had been feeling the same way, Laura proposed bringing kids in her school together to do good in their community. Though it was intended to be a prayer club that would do service projects, Laura insists the group welcomed all students, regardless of religion.
“I think that this is something that I am very passionate about. I wouldn’t be here if I didn’t really want to make this happen, if I didn’t think that it would be a great opportunity for everyone,” Laura said.
After her request was denied, the Creekside principal met with Laura and her mother back in February and claimed that all funding for school clubs had been allocated back in October. A Pride club, however, had allegedly launched just one week before the meeting.
The principal informed Laura and her mother that the only option for the prayer club was to pay for space to meet like outside groups.
An Unconstitutional Refusal
First Liberty Institute, a nonprofit Christian legal organization representing Laura, another unidentified student and their parents, sent a letter to Issaquah School District officials about the incident.
“Denying the formation of a religious student club while allowing other clubs violates the Constitution,” said Kayla Toney, associate counsel at First Liberty Institute. “School officials at Creekside Elementary are engaged in religious discrimination against an eleven-year-old girl who simply wants to pray, feel support from other religious friends, and do community service.”
Just an hour away from Creekside elementary is Bremerton High School, which made headlines back in 2015 after firing assistant football coach, Joe Kennedy, for praying on the field after games.
The district had said it was trying to avoid the appearance that it was endorsing a religious point of view. They also expressed concern that players may have felt they had to participate or risk feeling separated from the team.
In a yearslong battle to fight for religious freedom, the Supreme Court voted in 2022 that Kennedy was protected by his first amendment right to free speech, and did indeed have the right to pray on the field. He was given his job back.
The case set precedence for First Liberty to fight Laura’s case with the Issaquah School District.
“The Court in Kennedy explained that… the First Amendment ‘doubly protects religious speech.’ These First Amendment protections extend to elementary school students expressing their sincere religious beliefs through voluntary club. Yet the school district flouted its First Amendment obligations when they refused to allow a student-led interfaith prayer club. Its unlawful action violates both the Free Exercise Clause and the Free Speech Clause,” the letter from First Liberty states.
