LifeWise, an Ohio-based religious organization that provides Bible classes to public school students, has fired director Renee Beck after learning about her past involvement in a sex-texting scandal with students. Beck was previously fired by another school district in 2018 for similar allegations. LifeWise placed Beck on administrative leave upon discovering the allegations and terminated her employment shortly after.
LifeWise operates the LifeWise Academy program in 200 schools in Ohio, where students are taken out of school for 55 minutes each week to study the Bible at no cost. The organization is facing a lawsuit from a man in Fort Wayne, Indiana, who posted its curriculum online after attending an open house. While the U.S. Supreme Court allows off-campus religious instruction during school hours, critics argue that the program blurs the line between church and state.
Demrie Alonzo, an English tutor who works with LifeWise programs in central Ohio, expressed concerns about the program bringing religion into schools and potentially favoring students of certain religious backgrounds. Despite not facing criminal charges, Beck’s failure to disclose her employment history led to her termination from LifeWise.
The organization’s CEO, Joel Penton, confirmed the decision to fire Beck and emphasized the importance of honesty in disclosing relevant information to staff. LifeWise’s decision to remove Beck highlights its commitment to ensuring a safe and appropriate learning environment for students participating in its programs.
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