A federal lawsuit filed July 8 in U.S. District Court for the Western District of Washington accuses Highline Public Schools of forcing a sixth grade student to stay in an "inclusion" assembly she found religiously objectionable and of telling her she "had no choice" about taking part. The complaint, brought on behalf of the girl's father, says school staff stopped her from leaving even after she began to cry and blocked her from handing out Christian materials she had brought to school. The suit asks a judge to prohibit the district from compelling students to attend programming that conflicts with their religious beliefs without prior notice and a way to opt out.
In a press release from ACLJ, attorneys say the student was pulled out of a math class by administrators, told she could not distribute gospel tracts, and then denied permission to be excused from the assembly, at which point she became visibly upset. The ACLJ complaint casts the dispute as a First Amendment battle, alleging violations of the girl's free exercise and free speech rights and asking for injunctive relief. Lawyers for the group say the father is suing to protect his daughter's religious expression and what he views as his parental rights in the public school setting.
As reported by Seattle Red, the May 29 "inclusion assembly" at Sylvester Middle School featured LGBTQ content and, according to the complaint, presented seventy two gender identities. The filing quotes a staff member identified as Ms. Edwards telling the girl, "you have no choice because me and ms. holmes told the people in charge that you had to use the bathroom," and says the student cried during the program.
Highline, in a statement to Seattle Red, denied any wrongdoing and said assemblies are not mandatory. The district also told the outlet that some students reported being frightened by the girl's comments about "Satan" and "hell," a detail the complaint highlights as part of the dispute over what was said in the room that day.
The complaint further points to a 2022 written settlement that the plaintiff says guaranteed the student the right to distribute religious materials at school going forward, an agreement the ACLJ argues was violated when staff barred the tracts. The suit asks the court to block the district from compelling attendance at programs that parents or students reasonably believe are religiously objectionable unless there is advance notice and a clear opportunity to opt out.
Legal Claims And What The Complaint Seeks
The lawsuit brings First Amendment claims for free exercise of religion and free speech, alongside related parental rights arguments, and requests injunctive relief that would require changes to district practices. If a judge were to find that the district compelled participation in religiously objectionable activity without a sufficient justification, the result could include policy changes and a formal opt out process for future assemblies and similar programming. Cases in this area typically turn on whether a school has effectively compelled speech or crossed into an impermissible establishment of religion.
The plaintiff is the girl's father, and the case names Highline Public Schools officials and administrators as defendants, according to ACLJ. The filing alleges that parents were not told about the assembly or their daughter's distress until after the event and asks the court to restore what the family describes as her ability to share religious materials at school without interference.
The assembly took place at Sylvester Middle School in Burien; the school's online information lists 16222 Sylvester Road SW as its campus address, and the district's central office at 15675 Ambaum Blvd. SW. For background on district policies and its gender inclusive schools program, see Highline Public Schools for school and policy information.
The case is now pending in federal court. Highline has continued to deny wrongdoing, and the ACLJ says it will keep pressing the claims on the student's behalf.
