Eleutheria

Explore

Eleutheria - The Liberty Project

“So speak and so act, as those who are to be judged by the law of liberty.” - James 2:12

What is Eleutheria - The Liberty Project?

Welcome to Eleutheria - The Liberty Project, an initiative dedicated to promoting and enforcing liberty and religious freedom within the Eaton Community School District.

Named after the Greek word for liberty (ἐλευθερία), Eleutheria aims to expose and rectify the present violations of the 1st Amendment rights of parents by

Eaton Community Schools⁠

(ECS).

Background

There are two inter-related issues at hand. Both are 1st Amendment rights issues, the first being a violation of the “Establishment Clause,” and the second being a violation of the “Free Exercise Clause” of the 1st Amendment.

Second Step Social Emotional Learning (SEL)

A highly-controversial Social Emotional Learning (SEL) program called

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 sexual abuse prevention in an age-appropriate manner.

The program has been kept relatively quiet, with a low-key implementation that was misleading in contrast to the parental permission required for things like field trips.

Only after local kindergarten students started telling parents they’ve learned about penises and vaginas in class, and upper class students began disclosing they’ve been taught how to hide their browser histories from their parents have more and more people begun to realize the insidious, offensive, and inappropriate nature of the contents. Even after some parents demanded their children not participate, their students were still made to engage in the program.

ECS uses taxpayer dollars to fund the licensing of Second Step, which is rooted squarely in

Buddhist principles and values⁠

at the core. This ideology is contrary to the beliefs of Christian parents in the community, most of which are unaware of the program contents.

This is a direct, flagrant violation of the “

establishment clause⁠

” of the 1st Amendment.

⁠

Social-Emotional Learning for PreK-12 Discover Second Step, an evidence-based social-emotional learning curriculum for PreK-12 that fosters students' emotional intelligence, empathy, and problem-solving skills. secondstep.org⁠

LifeWise Academy

Released time, off-site religious instruction during school hours has been commonplace across many communities for decades. It has been ruled a constitutionally protected activity by the Supreme Court and lower courts, which have clearly established guidelines that must be met for this type of program.

⁠

LifeWise Academy⁠

is a Christian-based religious instruction program based in the Columbus, Ohio, area, and has expanded across the nation. The program has already been adopted in other school districts in Preble County and across the state.

The Eaton Community School Board has overtly and repeatedly rejected

LifeWise Academy⁠

even though the program meets the requirements under the law, and has entered into partnerships with local community churches. This Board refusal to allow the program to operate contradicts their own Board Policy 5223, which already acknowledges this type of activity.

This is a direct violation of the “

free exercise⁠

” clause of the 1st Amendment, which denies Christian families a “during school hours” alternative ideology aligning with their own faith that meets the requirements and tests established by the Supreme Court under

Zorach v. Clauson⁠

, and multiple lower court rulings.

⁠

Loading lifewise.org⁠

Mission and Intent

The Eleutheria mission is to:

Expose Inconsistencies: Highlight the conflict between ECS’s prohibition of the LifeWise Academy program alongside its promotion of the Second Step curriculum, which is essentially a hidden religious curriculum under the guise of character development through mindfulness practices rooted in Buddhism.

Advocate for Religious Freedom: Ensure that Christian families in Eaton, Ohio, are not denied the choice of a curriculum and activities that align with their own faith, and in actual accordance with Supreme Court and lower court rulings.

Promote Transparency: Document our efforts openly, showcasing the contrast between our transparent approach and ECS’s lack of transparency regarding the Second Step curriculum and parental rights to review it.

Anchor LifeWise Academy and Remove Second Step: It is very simple. The fundamental rights of parents in Eaton, Ohio, are being violated in two capacities, first the denial of a Constitutionally aligned program wherein the operation of the program actually meets the guidelines established by the courts, and second, being forced to subject their children to an alternative, conflicting ideology and value system that is funded by all citizen’s tax dollars as formal curriculum.

Approach

Our approach is not meant to be threatening or inflammatory. Instead, we seek to inform, educate, and advocate in a spirit of love and kindness, while firmly standing on fundamental rights and demanding accountability from our representative government.

Engage in a Grassroots Public Advocacy Campaign: Gather petition signatures, hold prayer vigils and public forums, attend school board meetings, and make our voices heard.

Support Ohio House Bill 445: This Bill has been introduced in committee, which is a simple change to the language of Ohio Revised Code (ORC) that changes one word — “may” to “shall” with respect to local school boards enabling released time programs like LifeWise Academy.

Challenge Incumbent Seats: Support ECS School Board candidates challenging incumbent seat holders for three board seats in the 2025 election.

Litigate in Federal Court: We wish to avoid litigation — but are fully-prepared and able to bring a lawsuit against Eaton Community Schools in Federal District Court should it become necessary to protect religious freedoms and parental rights.

Project Transparency

Throughout the project, we will:

Educate and Inform: Provide access to all of the basic facts and evidences as research is conducted so the community at large may be informed about the issues and process.

Document Progress: Regularly update our project site with research findings, activities, and progress to maintain full transparency.

Elevate Visibility: Bring national attention to our cause through already established relationships with conservative, faith-based, and legal partners.

Call to Action

We invite you to join us in this important effort. Follow along, participate, connect, and educate others. Together, we can uphold our fundamental rights and hold our government accountable. Let us move forward with love, kindness, and a firm commitment to liberty.

Stay Informed: Follow our updates and share them with your network.

Participate: Attend meetings, sign petitions, and support our candidates.

Connect: Engage with us on social media and through our website.

Educate: Spread awareness about the importance of religious freedom and parental rights in education.

⁠

Sign the Petition

⁠

Loading www.openpetition.org⁠

⁠

Together, we can make a difference.

Want to print your doc?
This is not the way.

Try clicking the ⋯ next to your doc name or using a keyboard shortcut (

CtrlP

) instead.