SPOKANE VALLEY, Wash. — Students attending East Valley High School and Middle School will be sent home early on Friday to avoid a planned protest by a controversial religious group.
East Valley Superintendent Brian Talbott made the announcement Wednesday that local law enforcement alerted the district to an upcoming protest by the Westboro Baptist Church. The WBC has been labeled a hate group by the Anti-Defamation League.
Talbott says the out-of-state group will be at Wellesley and Sullivan between 2 and 3 p.m. As such, students will be released 90 minutes earlier than usual, but parents are welcomed to keep their child home all day for an excused absence.
Talbott says the protest is expected to end at 3 p.m. so the elementary school will keep its normal hours. However, all extra-curricular clubs, activities and practices are cancelled.
There will also be additional law enforcement at the schools on Friday.
According to an X.com post by the Westboro Baptist Church, the protest is over a transgender athlete at East Valley previously covered by 4 News Now.
The group also says they will be protesting all day in Spokane at Gonzaga, Spokane Community College, and the ‘Be Bold for Jesus Conference’ at the Spokane Convention Center.
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