12.07.2024, 19:38

Welcome to the Eleutheria Project, an initiative dedicated to promoting and enforcing liberty and religious freedom within the Eaton Community School District (ECS).

Named after the Greek word for liberty (ἐλευθερία), Eleutheria aims to expose the conflict between Eaton Community School's persistent rejection of the Christian-based LifeWise Academy Eaton program under the district's own Board Policy 5223, while also simultaneously implementing the Second Step curriculum.

Second Step was selected as a curriculum to meet the requirements of Ohio House Bill 85, also known as “Erin’s Law,” which was originally intended as a pathway for schools to educate students in grades K-12 about the dangers of sexual abuse and about sexual violence prevention in an age-appropriate manner. ECS uses taxpayer dollars to fund the licensing of this program from a private entity that developed the it as a Mindfulness Based Social Emotional Learning (MBSEL) program, which at the core is rooted squarely in Buddhist principles and values.

Not only is this a direct, flagrant violation of the “establishment clause” of the 1st Amendment, but is a further violation of the “free exercise” clause by denying Christian families a “during school hours” alternative ideology that aligns with their own faith, even though the LifeWise Academy program fully meets the requirements and tests established by the Supreme Court under Zorach v. Clauson, and multiple lower court rulings — whereas Second Step clearly does not.