Latest news with #LifeWiseAcademy
Yahoo
05-08-2025
- Yahoo
Sexting scandal revelation shows flaws in LifeWise's background checking
LifeWise Academy's background system not enough Why are LifeWise Academy personnel not subject to the same level of background checks as the rest of adults children come in contact with during their school days? If we have learned any lessons from the Catholic Church and various youth religious programs, it is that these kinds of programs are not immune from abuse. More: LifeWise fires new school director after past sexting scandal with students comes to light Moreover, very few religious organizations have been forthcoming in reporting such abuse when it happens. BCI and FBI checks are required for all public school personnel in Ohio, licensed and otherwise. Even with these checks in place, abuses occur every year. The school will no doubt be pounded on when something happens to one of these children, regardless of parents having signed off on the child's leaving. Why do the proponents in the Ohio legislature allow this disparity? Why do parents not demand this? Dave Schwendenman, Columbus This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: LifeWise's background checking not strong enough | Solve the daily Crossword
Yahoo
09-07-2025
- Yahoo
Ex-employee can sue LifeWise for discrimination, state court filing says
COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) — The Ohio Civil Rights Council closed its investigation into LifeWise Academy, granting a former employee the right to sue. Former LifeWise instructor Rachel Snell alleged the organization forced her to resign when she refused to falsify her hours. LifeWise Academy, a religious instruction organization based in Hilliard, asked the Ohio Supreme Court to stop a state investigation into the claims, alleging it infringed on LifeWise's right to decide who spreads its religious message. Before the court could rule, the OCRC said the case is no longer relevant because the state agency already terminated its investigation. Intel reportedly considering major strategy change in manufacturers like Ohio plant According to court documents, Snell requested to withdraw her age-based discrimination claim in favor of a notice of right to sue. In Ohio, if someone alleges they were the victim of an employment law violation, they can only sue if they have first filed a charge with the OCRC and been granted a right to sue. In a court filing, Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost, who represented the OCRC in the case, said the case should be dismissed as moot. Yost said a lawsuit into whether the state can investigate is no longer relevant if the case is closed. In the Supreme Court filing, LifeWise alleged Snell worked beyond the scope of her duties and was insubordinate. Snell claimed she faced a poor work environment at her chapter in western Ohio once it became clear that she, unlike a younger coworker, would not work for free and falsify her hours. Using the OCRC letter, Snell is considering letting a court decide. LifeWise did not voice concerns about the right to sue letter to NBC4. 'We're pleased that the OCRC investigation is closed,' a LifeWise spokesperson said. 'We remain committed to making character-based Bible education available to all Ohio families during school hours.' Boy, 17, identified as victim of fatal east Columbus party shooting Snell told NBC4 she had not realized accepting a right to sue letter would withdraw the charge, but she was glad to take it if it meant holding LifeWise accountable. She said LifeWise's court filing blamed her and included inaccuracies, which she said was inappropriate for a Christian organization. Snell said she and her family have prayed about it and understand a lawsuit may be necessary to move forward. If she wins a lawsuit against LifeWise, she said she has decided which charities she will give most of the settlement to, including other ministries geared toward children that Snell feels are better aligned with her morals. According to court documents, Snell can sue LifeWise over the alleged discrimination as long as she does it within the next two years. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
17-05-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Bible education program comes at a cost, group says
May 16—LIMA — A popular offsite Bible class for public school students is restricting class time for students who don't participate, say the founders of the Secular Education Association. LifeWise Academy, the rapidly expanding Christian group that teaches children about the Bible through public school released-time for religious instruction waivers, is "using the public schools as a mission field," Molly Gaines said during a visit to Lima on Thursday. She and co-founder Zachary Parrish met with Allen County Democrats Thursday to discuss the evangelical mission behind LifeWise Academy and the influence they say the offsite Bible classes are having on students who don't participate. Other parents' choices 'affecting my child' Supporters defend LifeWise as an option for parents who want to incorporate religious instruction into their child's school day without having to enroll in a private school. Parents like Parrish argue the classes are still harmful because students who don't participate must repeat a class or stay behind in study hall while their peers are gone, so LifeWise students won't miss instructional time. Parrish started Parents Against LifeWise on Facebook, now known as the Secular Education Association, after learning his young daughter was sitting in study hall while her classmates were at LifeWise. The girl was in second grade. "When your choices start affecting my child's education, that's a problem," Parrish said. When Parrish shared his story online, he heard from other parents whose children experienced the same. "There's a lot of bullying, a lot of ostracizing" of students who don't go to LifeWise, he said. 'During school hours' Van Wert native Joel Penton founded LifeWise Academy after observing the success of Cross Over the Hill, an offsite Bible class for Van Wert schools. Penton streamlined the model by providing churches and volunteers with ready-made petitions, curriculum, fundraising support and instructions for how to lobby a school board to bring a LifeWise Academy to their local public schools. He relied on a little-known U.S. Supreme Court ruling that permits public school students to receive offsite religious instruction during the school day, so long as a parent consents and no public funds are used, to teach the Bible "during school hours." The program is spreading rapidly throughout the country, with LifeWise Academies available to all public schoolchildren in Allen County except Lima. Rapid expansion in Allen County Elida became the first district in Allen County to approve the release of students for LifeWise Academy, with the help of Christian broadcast network WTLW in 2020. The station purchased a bus and a home near the elementary school, which was converted into classrooms for LifeWise use. The network formed a subsidiary, ACTS Character Academy, to raise money for expenses. It now oversees academies in Allen East, Bath, Columbus Grove, Perry and Spencerville, providing staff and volunteers for each program. LifeWise programs in Shawnee and Delphos are operated independently of WTLW through the national LifeWise organization. The group inspired similar released-time programs like Kingdom Harvest Ministries, based in Celina, which is now available to children in Auglaize and Mercer counties. A moral education Structure varies from school to school. Students are typically excused during an elective or non-core classes like library, but schools may also use built-in free periods to release students for LifeWise. Attendance rates here average at 60% for grades 1-6, said Kevin Bowers, president of ACTS Ministries. Each Bible lesson is tied to a character trait like trustworthiness or honesty, with curriculum provided by the national LifeWise organization based on the Gospel Project. Bowers said most children do not attend church, but a majority of parents believe their children should receive character education, and most of those parents say the Bible should be the basis for that education, he said. "We don't apologize for the fact that the Bible is the basis for our program," Bowers said. "Some might call it indoctrination. We call it teaching. "Children are going to learn morals and ethics from somewhere, and it might as well be the Bible, in our view, because that's not only the foundation of Christian faith, but we believe in the foundation of our Western civilization." Children ask, 'Why won't you let me do this?' While the program is voluntary, parents like Parrish and Gaines say children are pressured by their peers to join LifeWise, which they say is contrary to how released-time programs functioned in the past. Now, children see LifeWise as a "party," Gaines said. "We have children coming home saying, 'Why won't you let me do this,'" Gaines said. "These are Jewish kids in second grade. They don't understand why they can't go to LifeWise." The academies brand themselves as inter-denominational Christian character education, but Gaines said the classes are designed to "indoctrinate" and "proselytize to every child" using a "narrow, hateful" interpretation of Christianity. "It's biblical literalism," she said. "It's evangelical in nature. (Children) are encouraged to proselytize not only to their friends, but to their family." "To say it's hateful almost doesn't deserve a response," Bowers said. He added, "It's been a blessing. It's actually helping schools accomplish what they want to accomplish, and that's to build well-rounded individuals that are going to participate in society and make good life decisions." Featured Local Savings
Axios
09-04-2025
- Politics
- Axios
Ohio parents' rights law for schools takes effect
Ohio's "Parents' Bill of Rights" law takes effect Wednesday, another controversial and sweeping education overhaul, this time at the K-12 level. Why it matters: House Bill 8 shows Republicans' progress in gaining control over public education, particularly in areas tied to the culture wars, including transgender students' rights. What's inside: Districts must now notify parents of "substantial changes" to their child's health and well-being, including "any request by a student to identify as a gender that does not align with the student's biological sex." Separately, districts must also notify parents of instructional materials containing "sexuality content" and provide an opt-out option. Plus: All students must be allowed to leave for private religious instruction during the school day — a practice that has drawn scrutiny amid Hilliard-based nonprofit LifeWise Academy's growing presence. Zoom in: Local districts have made recent moves to comply with the religious teaching mandate, which requires a policy in place by today. That includes Westerville, which previously banned such absences. Columbus' school board revised its policy last month to prohibit religious organizations from sending students back to class with souvenirs like candy and trinkets. The board also reviewed a "Parents' Bill of Rights" policy last week but hasn't voted yet. Between the lines: Underlying the "parental rights" debate are concerns that minors could receive gender-affirming care through school without their parents' knowledge. The big picture: Twenty-four states currently have similar laws, per Ballotpedia, which proponents say are necessary to promote transparency and parents' involvement. "They're the first teachers, they're the best teachers, and that's very, very important," Gov. Mike DeWine said of parents when signing the bill into law. The other side: Critics say such laws are a tactic to instill distrust and fear. School counselors who testified against the bill shared concerns that students with unsupportive families will be deterred from seeking care, and LGBTQ+ activists noted educators may now be forced to out children.
Yahoo
19-02-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
State Senate bill would okay students attending off-campus Bible classes during school hours
LifeWise Academy is a Hilliard, Ohio-based religious instruction program that started in 2019 and now enrolls thousands of students across 30 states. (Photo: Megan Henry, Ohio Capital Journal.) Republicans in the North Carolina Senate recently introduced a bill that would allow public school students to attend religious instruction during school hours. Senate Bill 92, the 'Released Time Education Act,' would permit local school boards to adopt policies that allow students to attend off-campus courses one to five hours per week for 'religious moral instruction' provided by third party organizations. The legislation comes as LifeWise Academy, a national organization that offers Bible education to public school students during school hours, has been preparing to expand into North Carolina, registering to operate in the state last year and seeking a state director. The bill requires parental consent, prohibits using public funds for the programs, and allows up to two elective credits for completed courses. Organizations offering the program would be required to maintain attendance records and provide course syllabi to school boards upon request. They would also be responsible for student supervision and liability during released time courses. LifeWise, citing a little known 1952 Supreme Court decision in the case of Zorach v. Clauson, operates under the premise that released time religious instruction is constitutional if it occurs off school property, is privately funded, and with parental permission. The organization, which launched in 2019, has rapidly expanded, now operating in over 300 schools across 30 states, providing weekly Bible lessons to as many as 50,000 public school students. The organization typically schedules its lessons to coincide with lunch periods or non-core classes such as library or gym class. In January, the Columbus Dispatch reported that LifeWise netted a 'profit' of over $17.2 million in its most recent IRS filing, up from $4.3 million the year before. The organization frames the initiative as reclaiming 'the greatest missed opportunity' for churches to reach the next generation. Critics argue the program excludes other students, detracts from academics, and allows proselytization in public schools. In Ohio, where Gov. Mike Dewine recently signed legislation establishing a released time policy, the Ohio Capital Journal reported that some parents have complained that their children have been bullied and ostracized for not attending LifeWise programs and been relegated to independent study time during the time in which other students were at the off-campus program. If enacted into law, the bill, sponsored by Senators Bobby Hanig, Ted Alexander, and Carl Ford, would take effect in the 2025–2026 school year. NC Newsline reporter Ahmed Jallow (ajallow@ would like to hear from people with information about released time efforts and programs already underway in their community. Read the bill here: Senate-Bill-92-2025
