LifeWise Rejects Safety Partners

After its founder publicly and proudly praised his organization’s failure to protect children from serious potential harm, LifeWise has removed the names and contact information for chapter employees and volunteers, as well the meeting spaces hosting children’s programming. It is a decision that was entirely expected and predictable as it is infuriating. 

In an interview conducted by NBC4 in Columbus, OH, the interviewer pointed out that LifeWise failed to find the work history of one of its directors who was previously fired for sexting their student. In response, founder Joel Penton stated, “... safety is our highest priority. We want to do things completely above board. We want to do things the right way.” 

Penton also alluded to another situation where their vetting system failed and had to change locations, thankfully before students were sent there. A slight bit of research reveals that this was a case in which another chapter apparently thought it would be OK to host elementary students in a warehouse discovered to have a sexual predator in its employ. Only public outcry saved these children from a very potentially dangerous learning environment. 

In the interview, Penton went on to say that he “welcomes the scrutiny.”  

And, yet, recent actions by LifeWise prove these statements false. By removing the locations on the website where children will be indoctrinated off school grounds, there can be no public intervention. By hiding the names of LifeWise personnel, there can be no public scrutiny. Actions speak loudest. Actions with the intent to obfuscate and deceive while simultaneously making it easier for predators to gain access to children is reprehensible. It is indefensible. 

But parents and community members in the state of Washington are not entirely powerless. Our voices do have impact, and community leaders are listening. There are at least two school districts who have listened to their constituents and have thus far barred the way to programs taking children off-campus during school hours. We need to use our voices and remind our school boards and superintendent offices of their obligation to the highest level of safety of our children, and their legal right to say no to these programs. And, we can also vote for school board directors who put all children first, equally.