Herald’s LifeWise coverage succinct, factual

Published 1:30 am Friday, January 2, 2026

Thanks for William Geschke’s great article on the LifeWise lawsuit against Everett Public Schools (“LifeWise sues Everett district, alleging First Amendment violations,” The Herald, Dec. 19). He clearly and succinctly stated sides of the issue using facts.

Sarah Mack, attorney for the district, makes great arguments to counter LifeWise’s points. It is absurd that parents opting in to LifeWise should not follow the same permission policy as other parents. Do the parents even want this, or is LifeWise overstepping?

I hope that board members, well-intentioned that they might be, will keep silent and let the legal process work. And, as this case moves forward, I’m curious whether the ACLU of Washington can support in any way. As a long time ACLU donor, I find them to be an essential bulwark to defend our freedom.

Michael Leonard

Lake Stevens