Newsletter – August 1, 2025

KCfD Members,

Here we go again, folks. Sometimes it seems we are trying to march backward in time.

We have states passing laws requiring the Ten Commandments to be hung in classrooms again, which was ruled unconstitutional by the Supreme Court in Stone v. Graham in 1980. The obvious reason for this ruling was that they were placed in government-funded buildings, which was a complete violation of the Establishment Clause of the First Amendment, which says, “Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion.”

Now, right here in our own backyard, we have a religious organization trying to stealthily slide its way into Oldham County Schools.

We were shocked to learn at the Oldham County Board Meeting on July 28th that an organization called LifeWise has approached Locust Grove Elementary about partnering with them to establish a religion-based character education program during the school day.

I am completely dismayed that we are having to fight this age-old battle again. If we had a Muslim or LGBTQ rights group propose a character education program that took place during the school day, our community would be lined up outside the door of the Board of Education in opposition. It should be no different for a Christian-based organization. No one has the right to try to impose their values on our kids.

Our Associate Director, Anita Davis, in our Activate section (scroll down), does a great job of laying out the numerous problems we have with the fact that Oldham County is even considering this, and what action steps you can take to quickly oppose this proposal.

Please take the time to review this section, and please do your small part to take some kind of action. Every communication counts!

Hello KCfD!

It’s been a while since the last newsletter and unfortunately we are all still stuck on this “Crazy Train” and the “War Pigs” just seem to keep getting their way on this “Road to Nowhere.” But that’s ok, because even though this group may have started as a “Shot in the Dark,” it has gone through a lot of “Changes.” We are getting more press, more questions and more members as people realize they are not “Paranoid” and don’t have to stare “Into the Void” alone. So, if you have found yourself running close to empty this summer like me, remember, being a “Dreamer” is a good and necessary thing in this world. So, let’s all reach down deep to find our inner “Iron Man,” double down on being a “Hellraiser,” and I promise we will get to a place with “No More Tears.” “See You on the Other Side!” (R.I.P. Ozzy)

I’d also like to give a shout out to the Educate Committee’s newest member, Jessica Sowder. Thank you and the other members of KCfD who spoke out at the OC School Board meeting this week, keep up the good trouble! A big thank you to Eric Ruppel and Rhett Hill for their excellent and timely articles in this week’s Newsletter. In a time when we are all following one court case after another to see what rights we will keep and what will be altered, it is more important than ever that we have a clear-eyed view on how our judicial system works currently, and how it was intended to work originally, making Eric’s piece on Article III a great foundation to start from. You will see that theme continue in the Clickbait selections below. Rhett’s piece on the importance of being involved in local government as the place where the rubber meets the road on day-to-day real life issues is a must read given the backdrop of recent political decisions and reactions in our own community: protesting 287(g) agreements with ICE, advocating for data center regulations, and now pushing back against LifeWise curriculum (bible study) during school hours in OC public schools.

Did you know?

The Supreme Court gave itself its most powerful tool by outsmarting a president. In Marbury v. Madison (1803), Chief Justice John Marshall ruled on a minor dispute over a lost job letter, but used it to establish judicial review; the power to strike down unconstitutional laws. He cleverly denied the job to William Marbury (a win for President Thomas Jefferson, his political rival), but in doing so, gave the Court massive new authority. It was a genius legal maneuver that made the judiciary an equal branch of government.

Clickbait

https://www.supremecourt.gov/ – The official website of the United States Supreme Court provides public access to court opinions, oral argument transcripts and audio, the court’s docket, and filings in pending cases. It’s a vital tool for tracking how the nation’s highest court interprets the Constitution and federal law; often shaping major civil rights, voting rights, and governance decisions.

https://www.scotusblog.com/ – The leading independent source for comprehensive, nonpartisan coverage of the U.S. Supreme Court. It offers expert case analysis, live opinion updates, and accessible summaries of rulings; making it an essential resource for understanding how the Court shapes American law and democracy.

brennancenter.org – A nonpartisan law and policy institute that champions democracy and justice. Based out of NYU School of Law, it offers in-depth research and advocacy on voting rights, money in politics, fair courts, and civil liberties. The Brennan Center is a trusted source for analysis on how Supreme Court decisions and legislation affect democratic institutions.

Keeping it Constitutional

Underneath the hubbub of the weekly news cycle and the 24/7 barrage of partisanship we face on every single issue, the courts quietly hum along… until they release a ruling and all hell seemingly breaks loose.

Most judicial rulings and orders go unnoticed by the vast majority of Americans, which is a good thing, but some of them really turn heads and become headlines for weeks, months, or even years. Meanwhile, others that nearly U-turn this American cruise ship barely make a wave in our news feeds. Why is that? How does judicial power work; where does it come from; and how has it changed? In this article, we examine the Judicial Branch…(Please read the full post here)

From Constituent to Candidate

Let’s just cut to the chase: When disaster strikes, it’s not the President, a member of Congress, or a Senator who shows up. 

It’s your Mayor, Emergency Manager, your County Judge, and local volunteers. 

That’s not a dig at the Feds — it’s just a reality of how help works. Nothing makes that clearer

than what just happened in Texas.

In the pre-dawn hours of July 4, 2025, flash floods devastated Central Texas. Some places in the area saw more than 4 inches of rainfall in just one hour, and the Guadalupe River rose to over 20 feet in several locations in just a matter of hours! Roads disappeared. Homes were destroyed. Families were stranded. Over 130 lives have been lost due to these uncontrollable events.

But… while FEMA took days to deploy, local responders didn’t wait…(Please read the full post here)

Religious Instruction in Oldham County Schools? On the Doorstep

Now that I have your interest piqued with that heading, it’s time to understand what’s happening in the Oldham County Schools district and to act quickly to defeat this movement.

First, some background on what’s happening. LifeWise Academy is making a move to have its program incorporated into elementary schools’ daily operations. LifeWise’s mission is to reach the “unchurched” using public schools as its “mission field”. The intent is to teach Bible classes during related arts, recess, and/or lunch. It’s Christian-based and its curriculum is thought to be influenced by the Southern Baptist Convention. This movement started in Ohio and is gaining traction in red states and districts. As you can imagine, this scenario is problematic for numerous reasons. It’s a multimillion-dollar corporation that is working to infiltrate public schools with a sophisticated media campaign using existing groups like Moms for Liberty to advance LifeWise Academy into local schools.

Until very recently, this was a hypothetical for our area. No more. LifeWise has established a Facebook group, is advertising for staff, and has approached Locust Grove Elementary to be its first partner. At the July 28th Oldham County School Board meeting, LifeWise was brought before the Board for consideration for approval. The Board did not act, but that does not mean they won’t soon. (See Locust Grove school council minutes March – May and public comment part of OCS Board meeting starting at minute 34 starting at minute 34)

The problems are obvious with this proposal:

• School staff are paid by taxpayers dollars. Any time used to plan, coordinate, or help execute this program by school staff is coming directly from tax dollars meant for literacy, math, science, etc, instruction, not religious instruction. LifeWise may pay for the Bible course teacher, but to think that school staff won’t have to be involved in coordinating implementation is laughable and naive.
• Whose biblical interpretations are going to be taught? That of the Baptists (and the numerous breakdowns within that category), Catholics, Lutherans, Episcopalians, Mormons, Church of Christ, or etc?
• How will LifeWise staff deal with issues like unwed parents, gay parents, etc? It doesn’t take much to see the problems coming. Check this document out that LifeWise gave to instructors to use: Difficult Questions from Students
• How will students who don’t attend be treated? What school culture problems will occur? Schools that participated in prior years reported bullying issues as a result. Kids attending, telling other kids that they are going to hell for not believing? Nightmarish.
• Are we really willing to sacrifice art, music, health, physical education, recess, or lunch to accommodate religious instruction? Aren’t schools already strapped for time to teach what is required, plus accommodate special needs children?
• The curriculum has been tightly held and leaves open the problem of transparency of what actually is being taught during class. Why is that? LifeWise has cited copyright infringement as a reason. When schools adopt materials and curriculum, it would be unheard of for a company not to allow all materials to be seen and reviewed.
• How will staff deal with the incentivized approach often used to boost attendance at LifeWise? Parties, food, prizes…those are powerful tools that are used to attract students to the class.

This movement needs to be stopped. Time is of the essence. Religion has no place in our public schools. There are avenues available for religious instruction already.

Given that attendance at churches is falling nationwide, the LifeWise approach seems to be a way to tackle that problem by recruiting through a captive audience, aka, public school kids.

Please act now:

• Sign our KCfD petition on this issue, especially if you are an Oldham County, Kentucky resident.
• Read the three-part series by the Toledo Press and brochure by to get additional information about LifeWise. It’s extremely interesting and troubling.
• Share this with friends and family and ask them to act.
• Call or email school board members and the superintendent to voice opposition.
• If you are in the Locust Grove district, contact the school principal and school council members to voice your opinions.
• Attend the Oldham County School Board meeting on August 25th at 4:45 pm at the Arvin Center. Be willing to speak during public comment time.
• Attend the Locust Grove school council meeting on August 25 at 2:45. Be willing to speak during public comment time.
• We have collected more articles and resources here on LifeWise.

This country was founded on the principles of separation of church and state and individual freedom to worship (or not). Our founders knew and understood the danger of the intermingling of the church, monarchy, and the state. They had hundreds of years of precedent to see the dangers, the cruelty, the oppression of that mix. The Establishment and Free Exercise clauses of the First Amendment are under attack right now and we need all hands on deck. Call, email, and spread the word.

On a separate Activate topic… If you are interested in boycotting any of the companies profiting from the genocide in Gaza, here is an excellent article calling out these interests and how they have profited. The actual U.N. report on which the article is based is linked here.

Hello all!

Please check out this event for free back-to-school haircuts!

August 10: Back to School Free Haircuts – Kentucky Citizens for Democracy will be hosting this event at Hair Montage 6630 Highway 146 (1-4:00 pm)

August 25: Oldham County School Board Meeting – We need all hands on deck for this meeting. The Board is considering approval of religious instruction during the day at Locust Grove Elementary. Please plan to attend – more information will be sent soon. 

August 28: KCfD General Meeting – 6:30-8 pm – St. James Episcopal Church, Pewee Valley, KY

Check our calendar on the KCfD website for more information about these events.