An 11-year-old Creekside Elementary student in Sammamish, Washington—20 miles east of Seattle—had her request to start a prayer group denied, despite the fact that the school allows a Pride group, a 'Green' team, and many more 'non-religious clubs' to meet. The student's hope was to "start an interfaith prayer club so that students like her could have a place after school where they feel safe and welcome, and where they can bring students together to serve their community."

Ironically, the school is located not far from Bremerton, Washington, where high school football coach Joseph Kennedy was punished for praying on the field with his players but prevailed in a 2022 Supreme Court case regarding his unjust firing. He was awarded a $1.7 million settlement.

See:

High School Football Coach Scores Another Touchdown for the First Amendment

First Liberty Institute, a group that describes itself as “a non-profit public interest law firm and the largest legal organization in the nation dedicated exclusively to defending religious freedom for all Americans,” took notice and is threatening legal action against the Issaquah School District, which Creekside is a part of.

❌🚨✏️⚠️ Elementary school principal denies student request to start an interfaith prayer club after allowing "pride" club a week earlier https://t.co/okGX81YrFi

— First Liberty Institute (@1stLiberty) April 10, 2024

They let the district know they were coming with a letter sent Tuesday:

First Liberty Institute today sent a letter to officials with the Issaquah (WA) School District on behalf of two elementary school students, L.A.W. and J.W., and their parents, demanding the students be allowed to start an interfaith prayer club at school. The school actively promotes more than a dozen non-religious clubs, including a Pride Club and the Green Team.

Read the letter here. The refusal to allow the girl to form a faith club is a flat-out violation of the First Amendment, they wrote.

“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. In Coach Kennedy’s case just a short drive away in Bremerton, the Supreme Court held that students and staff can pray at school—and to prohibit them violates the First Amendment.”

Interestingly, the school district heavily promotes its diversity efforts on its website. They have an extensive diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) page with lots of platitudes like this:

We are dedicated to identifying and removing bias and systemic and institutional barriers that create marginalizing and disproportionality in student achievement and their well being. Learn about our mission.

And:

We are committed to creating equitable outcomes where all students thrive. 

We work to create welcoming and inclusive learning environments, where students, staff, and parents know that they matter and that they belong.

It would seem those diversity efforts stop when it comes to faith. 

The child had been through a difficult time and simply wanted to help others but was given the runaround, according to First Liberty:

L.A.W. had an especially difficult experience as a religious student in fifth grade. Because of her experience, L.A.W. decided to start an interfaith prayer club so that students like her could have a place after school where they feel safe and welcome, and where they can bring students together to serve their community. L.A.W. and her mother met with Creekside Principal Amy Allison twice in February, but Allison claimed that all the funding for school clubs was allocated in October, so the club would not be allowed to meet. A Pride club, however, was launched and promoted by teachers just a week before L.A.W. met with the principal. Principal Allison told L.A.W. that her only option for the prayer club was to pay for space like outside groups. [Bolding mine.]

Toney said that the prayer group request needs to be granted by no later than April 29—or First Liberty will take action. "If we do not hear from you and receive those assurances by that time, we will proceed as our clients direct, likely pursuing all available legal remedies," the letter concludes.

"'This is viewpoint discrimination."

It would seem that’s clearly the case. If you're an MSNBC viewer, discrimination is really, really bad—unless that discrimination is against a faith-based group, well, then it's OK. 

But like Bremerton High, the Issaquah School District may soon be forking over serious cash to atone for their sins. Of course, they could just let the girl have her prayer group, and it would end there, but it’s Washington State, and you won’t win a lot of money betting on them doing the right thing.