By FāVS News Staff
Idaho
New Saint Andrews College sues Moscow, alleges religious discrimination
New Saint Andrews College (NSA) has sued the city of Moscow, alleging religious discrimination over zoning, land-use and parking restrictions. The Christian college claims city policies have substantially burdened its religious activities and treated it less favorably than secular institutions. A central dispute involves NSA’s administrative offices at The Pierian art gallery on South Main Street. In 2024, the Moscow City Council reversed a decision allowing the offices, citing a 2019 ordinance restricting college expansion in the central business district.
NSA also alleges it faces unique off-street parking requirements that are not imposed on comparable secular organizations, including University of Idaho facilities. The college says the city violated federal and state religious-freedom protections and the First Amendment. Moscow said it had not formally received the complaint as of Tuesday morning, according to Moscow-Pullman Daily News reporting.
Boise student settles restroom lawsuit against school district
A Boise high school student who sued the Boise School District after encountering a biological male in a girls’ restroom has reached a settlement, the Idaho Family Policy Center’s legal arm announced. The district’s insurance company agreed to pay $34,000 in damages and attorney fees to resolve claims brought by “Jane Doe,” who said the district had given a male student permission to use girls’ restrooms under a “gender support plan.” The IFPC Legal Center called it the first settlement under Idaho’s school bathroom law and possibly the first in the nation involving a female student who encountered a male in a school restroom.
The case followed an Ada County District Court ruling this summer in which Judge Norton rejected the district’s request to dismiss the lawsuit. The IFPC Legal Center said the district had acknowledged during that hearing it could have changed its bathroom policy to comply with the law but argued it wasn’t required to because of a temporary 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals stay blocking enforcement. Norton ruled the district couldn’t rely on that stay after the 9th Circuit ultimately upheld the law. The Boise School District said in response that it does not admit fault or wrongdoing. CBS2 has also reached out to the district for further comment.
Eastern Washington
Man arrested on hate crime charges after Pullman Islamic Center incident
A 54-year-old Pullman man was arrested on several felony charges Sunday night after allegedly yelling anti-Islamic remarks and attempting to break into the Pullman Islamic Center on Northeast Stadium Way. Christopher Petruzzelli faces charges including three counts of felony harassment, felony attempted burglary, commission of a hate crime, fourth-degree assault, disorderly conduct and second-degree vehicle prowling, according to court documents filed in Whitman County Superior Court.
Police found Petruzzelli near the Islamic Center on Myrtle Street, where he allegedly threatened to shoot officers during his arrest. Video footage reportedly shows him making anti-Islamic remarks to people in the center’s parking lot and following them toward the building; a witness said he had been intimidating people outside the center earlier that day. Court documents note officers believed he may have been experiencing a mental health crisis and has a history of methamphetamine use. Petruzzelli was booked into Whitman County Jail on $100,000 bond and is scheduled to be arraigned Friday.
Sikh Temple of Spokane Donates $30,000 to Wildfire Relief Fund
The Sikh Temple of Spokane donated $30,000 Sunday to the Innovia Foundation’s Spokane Complex Wildfire Response Fund to support communities affected by wildfires. Temple members organized the fundraising effort and presented one collective donation, reflecting the Sikh community’s emphasis on giving back to people in need. Members said the temple has supported local charities, including Second Harvest and Innovia, as well as disaster relief efforts elsewhere. The temple’s membership has grown over the past two decades, with many members working in fields such as education, health care and engineering. Innovia Foundation CEO Shelly O’Quinn accepted the donation. U.S. Rep. Michael Baumgartner and Washington State University researcher Kulvinder Gil attended the presentation and spoke about Sikh community values and service.
Central Washington
Small North Central Washington church finds growth through interfaith outreach and peacemaking
Ellisforde Church of the Brethren in North Central Washington is experiencing renewed growth through community outreach, peacemaking and interfaith engagement. Pastor Daniel Klayton said average Sunday attendance has increased to 25–30 people from 10–12 over the past two years. The church’s outreach includes supporting immigrant families, organizing nonviolence workshops, advocating against war and oppression and participating in community rallies.
It also hosted an interfaith “Celebration of Spirit” featuring music and participants from Jewish, Baha’i, Native American and Buddhist traditions. Klayton, who grew up Jewish and explored Buddhism and Christianity, emphasizes compassion, inclusion and finding common ground among different faiths. The church is also openly affirming of LGBTQ+ people. Klayton says service and community engagement have helped create new connections and vitality.
Western Washington
Seattle Police Department plans to hire more than 140 officers amid reported rise in anti-Jewish hate crimes
Seattle plans to expand its police force, with the department on track to hire more than 140 officers in 2026, according to the mayor’s office. The proposed 2027 and 2028 budgets would continue funding the expansion. The announcement comes as reported anti-Jewish hate crimes have increased in Seattle this year, with JNS citing city data showing Jews were targeted in nearly 20% of reported hate crimes despite comprising about 1% of the metro-area population. Seattle police say they regularly adjust deployments and have historically increased visibility around synagogues and other religious sites during holidays. The broader police expansion is part of Mayor Katie Wilson’s gun-violence reduction strategy.
Unanimous council vote expands Seattle’s civil-rights protections to consensual non-monogamous relationships and diverse family structures.
Seattle City Council unanimously approved legislation expanding local civil-rights protections to people in consensual non-monogamous relationships and diverse family structures. The measure amends the city’s definition of protected sexual orientation to include consensual relationships involving multiple partners, while also recognizing pansexuality, asexuality and gender identities outside the gender binary.
It extends protections across areas including housing, employment, public accommodations and interactions with police. The ordinance also recognizes multigenerational households and other family structures within Seattle’s anti-discrimination framework.
Council records say the measure is intended to address discrimination affecting people in varied relationships and households. The legislation was sponsored by Councilmember Alexis Mercedes Rinck and passed on Sept. 15. According to the measure, the changes are scheduled to take effect June 1, 2027.
Editor’s note: This roundup was condensed from longer articles and press releases using AI tools, then edited and fact-checked by FāVS staff prior to publication.
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