Christian middle schooler sues Washington district over backpack searches, mandatory LGBT assembly  

A Christian middle school student in Washington state is suing her school district, alleging repeated religious discrimination and violations of her constitutional rights.

The student and her father, who are represented by the American Center for Law and Justice, filed the lawsuit July 8, citing three separate incidents in which Highline Public Schools allegedly displayed hostility toward the student’s Christian faith.

The incidents began in 2022 when the plaintiff was in second grade.

According to the lawsuit, school officials “prohibited [the plaintiff] from distributing religious tracts and crosses to her classmates, searched [her] backpack on multiple occasions to confiscate religious materials, and sent [her] to the Principal’s office at least ten times for exercising her First Amendment rights during recess.”

At the time, Highline Public Schools said other parents had complained about their children bringing home religious tracts and being frightened by discussions of Satan and hell.

In early 2026, the lawsuit alleges the plaintiff was again targeted because of her faith by Sylvester Middle School Vice Principal Lori McEwen, a defendant in the case.

According to the lawsuit, McEwen stopped the student from passing out gospel tracts, saying students could share opinions – including political views such as protesting U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement – but not religious beliefs.

“This is a paradigmatic case of viewpoint discrimination, the most egregious and constitutionally suspect form of a content-based speech restriction,” the lawsuit said.

The lawsuit also challenges a May 29 “Inclusion Assembly,” which it says promoted pro-LGBT ideology.

According to the lawsuit, the plaintiff’s parents were not informed about the assembly beforehand or given an opportunity to opt their daughter out.

The lawsuit says the assembly featured cross-dressing characters, “seventy-two gender identities, a discussion of sexual orientations and sexual preferences, including binary, transgender, and asexual identities, explicit affirmations such as ‘happy pride month,’ student testimonies and the display of various pride flags.”

According to the lawsuit, the plaintiff became extremely upset by the presentation and tearfully asked to be excused because of her religious objections.

However, a teacher told her, “You have no choice,” and required her to remain for the rest of the assembly, according to the lawsuit.

The family is suing Highline Public Schools and district officials, arguing the student’s rights under the First and 14th amendments to the U.S. Constitution, as well as protections for free speech and religious liberty under the Washington Constitution, were violated.

“Our client is a little girl who has done nothing but live out her faith with kindness and respect for others,” the American Center for Law and Justice said in a press release. After each incident, “the district minimized, deflected or simply denied wrongdoing.

“[The plaintiff] deserves better than backpack searches, viewpoint discrimination and a teacher telling her she has ‘no choice’ but to abandon her conscience.”