A Washington middle school student has sued her school district after school officials restricted her religious speech and required her to attend an assembly that conflicted with her Christian beliefs.

The lawsuit, filed on behalf of a Sylvester Middle School student identified as J.H., says she regularly offered Christian gospel tracts to classmates during noninstructional times, such as lunch and breaks. According to the complaint, she simply asked classmates if they would like a tract and did not continue if they declined.

The case centers on an encounter with a school administrator who told J.H. she could no longer distribute religious tracts at school. When J.H. asked why students could share other viewpoints, the administrator responded that students could express opinions, “but not religious beliefs.”

The lawsuit also challenges a schoolwide inclusion assembly held in May that included presentations on racial diversity, disability, women’s rights, gender identity, sexual orientation, and LGBTQIA+ topics.

According to the lawsuit, one slide encouraged students to become allies by standing against what it described as “oppression” of LGBTQ people and that speaking against or “targeting any group” will not be allowed.

The complaint also says students’ parents were not notified in advance about the content of the assembly or given an opportunity to excuse their children from attending.

J.H. excused herself from the assembly and told staff she was uncomfortable returning. According to the lawsuit, a teacher told her, “You have no choice,” before directing her back inside, where she remained for the rest of the assembly in tears.

According to the lawsuit, the district later stated that students “may certainly distribute” religious materials during noninstructional times such as before and after school and during lunch. The district has also maintained that assemblies are voluntary and that students who choose not to attend may report to an alternative location. What J.H. experienced, however, speaks to the opposite.

While one young Christian is standing firm in a public school, a well-known seminary has chosen to do the same despite significant consequences in the institutional realm.

Asbury Theological Seminary was recently removed from a list of United Methodist Church (UMC) approved seminaries because the college’s teachings no longer align with the denomination’s revised positions on marriage, sexuality, and gender.

Asbury has been affiliated with the Methodist denomination since 1946, educating generations of future ministers. But after the denomination revised its Social Principles in 2024 to affirm same-sex marriage and embrace broader views of sexuality and gender, that long-standing relationship came to an end.

Rather than changing its position, Asbury reaffirmed its commitment to Scripture.

“Our theological commitments, including our commitment to Scripture, remain unchanged,” said Asbury President Dr. David Watson. “We affirm marriage as sanctioned by God, which joins one man and one woman in a single, exclusive union for life.” He also said the seminary continues to affirm that God created mankind as male and female.

Although the decision ends Asbury’s official recognition by the United Methodist Church, the seminary has made clear it does not intend to change its position. While the overall impact is expected to be limited, the removal reflects the growing divide between churches and institutions that continue to uphold biblical teaching and those that have strayed away from Scripture.

These stories involve very different circumstances, but they reflect the same reality. Whether in a public school or a theological seminary, biblical convictions increasingly stand apart from the surrounding culture.

That makes opportunities to share the gospel more important than ever. Whether through a conversation with a friend, a classmate, a coworker, or by handing someone a Chick tract, we can continue pointing others to the unchanging truth of God’s word and the hope found in Jesus Christ.