The News: On behalf of a Wisconsin parent, WILL has notified Lighthouse Learning Academy that it is prepared to take legal action over the school’s refusal to provide certain curriculum materials, even though most of the items requested were non-religious, simply because some were created by a Christian publisher or contained a few religious references.
Lighthouse is a district-authorized charter school that operates with more flexibility than traditional district schools, allowing families greater involvement in the education of their children. Parents may choose instructional materials that best fit the learning needs of their children.
Our client, Mrs. Karen Sharkey, selected several non-religious materials from an award-winning publisher that provides resources to homeschoolers and charter schools across the country. She also chose a few materials that the school believed included potentially religious references. Lighthouse then denied multiple selections, citing the publisher’s Christian affiliation and raising unfounded concerns that the materials were religious in nature.
The Quotes: WILL Associate Counsel, Lauren Greuel, stated, “Lighthouse Learning Academy is drawing a line in the sand for all the wrong reasons. Denying a parent’s selections for curriculum to best fit the needs of her child because of a Christian affiliation is misguided and illegal. WILL stands ready to protect Mrs. Sharkey’s right to choose the best coursework for her child and to demand that the school applies its policies fairly to all parents.”
WILL Client, Karen Sharkey, stated, “My husband and I chose Lighthouse for our family because of its commitment to involving parents in the educational process and because of the admirable autonomy it offers parents to choose the curriculum that best fits their children’s needs. We are surprised and deeply disappointed that Lighthouse has chosen to single out and discriminate against Christian publishers.”
What Happened: Mrs. Sharkey selected several materials consistent with Lighthouse’s unique model that involves and empowers parents. The following were rejected:
- Simply Charlotte Mason – Elementary Arithmetic Series Book 5 with Practical Geometry Part 1: Contains no religious content. Denied on the basis of the publisher’s Christian religious status.
- Simply Charlotte Mason – Shakespeare in Three Steps – A Comedy of Errors: Contains no religious content. Denied on the basis of the publisher’s Christian religious status.
- Simply Charlotte Mason – Using Language Well Book 5 Bundle: Rejected due to some religious references. The parent selected and administers this content for her child only.
- A learning platform that teaches Hebrew and Koine Greek called “Biblingo”: Rejected because pictures and videos of the biblical world are integrated in the lessons.
The Problem: Lighthouse’s refusal to approve these materials violates the Free Exercise Clause by discriminating against religious status and infringes upon Mrs. Sharkey’s fundamental parental right to guide her child’s upbringing, a right affirmed by the U.S. Supreme Court in Mahmoud v. Taylor. WILL is prepared to pursue legal action to protect parental rights and ensure fair treatment for all families if Lighthouse does not correct course.
Read More:
- Letter to Lighthouse Learning Academy, November 2025
Lauren Greuel
Associate Counsel