11-year-old denied permission to start interfaith prayer club at school
Washington state fifth-grader Laura and attorney Kayla Toney discuss elementary school allowing a Pride club, but not a prayer group.
A fifth-grade girl in Washington state was denied a request to start an interfaith prayer group at her elementary school after educators granted permission for an LGBTQ Pride club one week earlier.
Eleven-year-old Laura, a Creekside Elementary student, told "Fox News @ Night" she had felt alone in her classroom and the larger school. After speaking with friends who felt the same way, Laura pitched the idea of bringing people together and doing good in the community.
Laura claimed the interfaith prayer 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.
Laura, left, and her attorney sat down with "Fox News @ Night" to discuss why the interfaith prayer club was denied. (Fox News)
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."
Laura and her mother allegedly met with the Creekside principal in February. The principal claimed that all funding for school clubs had already been allocated back in October. However, a Pride club had allegedly launched just a week before the meetings.
Former Bremerton High School assistant football coach Joe Kennedy answers questions after his legal case, Kennedy vs. Bremerton School District, was argued before the Supreme Court on April 25, 2022 in Washington, D.C. (Photo by Win McNamee/Getty Images)
Creekside is approximately an hour away from Bremerton High School in Washington, where Coach Joe Kennedy was fired for praying on the football field after each game. The Supreme Court ruled in favor of Kennedy and stressed that the First Amendment protects students and employees who express faith in public schools. He was later reinstated.
"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.
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Creekside Elementary and Issaquah School District did not return Fox News Digital’s request for comment.
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