Freedom Updates
Advocates in Action
PRESS RELEASE | FEMALE ATHLETES FILE FEDERAL LAWSUIT TO DEFEND FAIRNESS, SAFETY, AND EQUAL OPPORTUNITY IN CALIFORNIA HIGH SCHOOL SPORTS
ADVOCATES FOR FAITH & FREEDOM
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Thursday, sEPTEMBER 17, 2025
CONTACT: Lori Sanada
media@FAITH-FREEDOM.COM
Murrieta, CA — Last week, we witnessed the tragic assassination of Charlie Kirk, a fearless advocate for truth and faith. Far from silencing Charlie’s message, his death has ignited a firestorm of resolve, inspiring young people to carry forward his legacy with unwavering courage. In a powerful testament to Charlie’s influence, three brave female athletes from Jurupa Valley High School found the courage to file a federal civil rights lawsuit after enduring approximately three years of competition in girls’ sports with a boy who chose to play volleyball and run track as a girl. Despite the school’s repeated threats of suspension and retaliatory action for speaking up, these young women chose to take a courageous stand for truth in girls’ sports.
The federal lawsuit, filed just one day before Charlie’s assassination, brings federal claims against the California Department of Education, the California Interscholastic Federation (CIF), and Jurupa Unified School District (JUSD), accusing them of systemic violations of Title IX, the Equal Protection Clause, and the First Amendment. The lawsuit addresses the schools’ failure to protect these female athletes, who were forced to share their volleyball court, track, and locker room with a male athlete and endured unwanted physical touching by a male athlete—all while school administrators turned a blind eye after numerous complaints by the girls and their parents. The male athlete has even made mocking comments to the girls, proclaiming he had a “custom coochie” and complaining about having “cramps” and being “on his period.” The lawsuit alleges that defendants’ policies and inaction have created an unsafe and discriminatory environment, robbing female athletes of their right to fair competition and personal dignity. By prioritizing political ideology over the safety and privacy of female students, defendants have violated federal protections designed to ensure equal opportunities in education and athletics.
“Charlie Kirk’s pastor, Rob McCoy, said it best: ‘In the absence of courage, truth is an orphan,’” said Robert Tyler, President and Chief Counsel of Advocates for Faith & Freedom. “These young women embody the living legacy of Charlie Kirk, boldly proclaiming truth in a culture that demands conformity and silence.”
Senior Counsel Julianne Fleischer of Advocates for Faith & Freedom continues, “No woman should be forced to sacrifice her safety, privacy, or dignity to participate in high-school sports. It’s an affront to every woman that our identity is being caricatured and mocked by boys who think they are girls. We will not allow truth to be silenced, nor will we permit the rights of these young women to be trampled by misguided policies rooted in false ideologies.”
Advocates for Faith & Freedom previously filed a landmark lawsuit on behalf of Taylor Starling and Kaitlyn Slavin against Martin Luther King High School for allowing a male athlete to compete as a female with special benefits not afforded to the female athletes. All five girls are available to participate in media to share their common stories of courage and their stand for undeniable truth.
Advocates for Faith & Freedom is unwavering in its commitment to defending the integrity of women’s sports and protecting the fundamental rights of young women to compete without fear of harassment, retaliation, or discrimination. These landmark lawsuits send a resounding message: the voices of these courageous athletes will not be silenced, and the fight for truth and justice will prevail.
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Advocates for Faith & Freedom is a non-profit law firm dedicated to protecting constitutional and religious liberty in the courts. Our mission is to engage in cases that will uphold our religious liberty and America’s heritage and to educate Americans about our fundamental constitutional rights.
PRESS RELEASE | MISSOURI COURT PROTECTS FREE SPEECH IN CHURCH CLASH WITH GENDER IDEOLOGY
ADVOCATES FOR FAITH & FREEDOM
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Thursday, sEPTEMBER 4, 2025
CONTACT: Lori Sanada
media@FAITH-FREEDOM.COM
St. Charles, Missouri — Advocates for Faith & Freedom announces today that the St. Charles Circuit Court has granted every motion to dismiss in favor of the Defendants in Roberson v. Grace Church. The Court threw out the Plaintiff’s defamation and conspiracy claims, which the Defendants argued were without merit. The Court’s ruling reaffirms the constitutional protections of Free Speech and Religious Liberty.
The lawsuit, filed by Plaintiff, stated that Plaintiff, born a biological man, wears “masculine and feminine clothing” with “make-up (mascara and eye shadow)” and has a beard or goatee, which was referred to in the legal filings as Plaintiff’s “natural facial hair.” The legal filings describe how plaintiff worked at the public library, which included a rotation in the children’s section of the public library. The Defendants, which included individuals from the community such as Jane Puszkar, Vanessa Hagedorn, and Rachel Homolak, as well as Grace Church advocated for the library to adopt a gender-neutral dress code because the Plaintiff’s gender non-conforming dress created confusion in young children’s minds, as they were not mature or developed enough to process the experience. For voicing concerns about exposing young children to gender ideology, Defendants were sued by Plaintiff for alleged defamation and conspiracy. After careful review of the allegations, however, the Court dismissed each and every claim against the Defendants, finding them legally insufficient.
“This case was built on meritless claims that sought to silence churches and concerned citizens,” said Bob Tyler, President and Chief Counsel of Advocates for Faith & Freedom. “The Court’s decision is more than just a dismissal—it is a resounding victory for Free Speech and Religious Liberty. The First Amendment protects the right of churches and individuals to speak and live out their faith without fear of retaliation through baseless lawsuits.”
With the ruling, Grace Church can focus fully on its mission of serving the St. Charles community and advancing its ministry, and the individual Defendants such as Jane Puszkar, Vanessa Hagedorn, and Rachel Homolak may continue on with their lives without threat of financial ruin. While the Plaintiff may still pursue appeal, the decision marks an important legal affirmation of the First Amendment rights guaranteed to churches and faithful individuals across Missouri and the United States.
“This outcome strengthens the principle that the courts will not be used to punish people of faith for speaking openly and truthfully,” added Erin Mersino of Advocates for Faith & Freedom. “The Court found that the allegations against our Clients were legally insufficient on their face and dismissed them at the earliest possible time. And even though we believe that this case should never have been brought in the first place, our clients’ response has been inspiring. They faced this unjust lawsuit with courage, strength, and resolve. We celebrate this victory with them.”
The St. Charles Circuit Court Opinion is available here.
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Advocates for Faith & Freedom is a non-profit law firm dedicated to protecting constitutional and religious liberty in the courts. Our mission is to engage in cases that will uphold our religious liberty and America’s heritage and to educate Americans about our fundamental constitutional rights.
PRESS RELEASE | ADVOCATES FOR FAITH & FREEDOM FILES BRIEF BEFORE THE UNITED STATES SUPREME COURT TO REINSTATE RELIGIOUS EXEMPTIONS FROM MANDATORY VACCINATION
ADVOCATES FOR FAITH & FREEDOM
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Wednesday, sEPTEMBER 3, 2025
CONTACT: Lori Sanada
media@FAITH-FREEDOM.COM
Murrieta, CA — Advocates for Faith & Freedom, a leading advocate for the protection of religious liberty and constitutional freedoms, today announced the filing of its important brief with the United States Supreme Court in the case Miller v. McDonald. The brief urges the Supreme Court to protect the fundamental right to religious liberty and reinstate it as the cornerstone of the First Amendment.
At issue in Miller v. McDonald is New York’s decision to remove all religious exemptions from its compulsory vaccination law for school children. New York had allowed religious exemptions for over 50 years. When it amended its law, however, some of the law’s sponsors in the New York legislature spoke very negatively about people who hold religious objections to vaccination, calling their religious beliefs “trash” or “fake.” One legislator called a people who have religious objections to vaccination “a heretic.” The Governor of New York, Kathy Hochul, had previously received negative press for telling a congregation that people who had religious objections to the COVID-19 vaccine “aren’t listening to God” and that their religious concerns are “not truth.”
The Petitioners in Miller v. McDonald are Amish families who live an isolated, devoutly religious life away from modern day society. The Petitioners object to the state-mandated vaccinations on religious grounds due to some vaccinations’ reliance on the use of aborted fetal cells during their manufacturing and testing. While New York’s law does not allow any religious exemptions, it does allow non-religious, medical exemptions. The law also does not apply to everyone in New York schools. For example, the law does not require schoolteachers or other adults who work in the schools to be vaccinated, only children. The law also does not address the myriad locations where children spend time or might contract an illness outside of school.
The Amish schools and families in Miller v. McDonald have been fined $118,000.00 for failing to comply with New York vaccine law. New York officials know of Petitioners’ religious objections but are still requiring they pay the onerous fines. The outcome of this case has the potential to shape the scope of religious freedom protections for generations.
“Our founding fathers enshrined religious liberty as our first freedom because they understood that to have a free society men and women must be able to live out their sincerely held faith without coercion. This is essential to both democracy and human dignity,” said Erin Mersino of Advocates for Faith and Freedom. “We are urging the Supreme Court to stop New York from shaking down the Amish community with ruinous fines for simply staying true to their faith beliefs.”
Advocates for Faith & Freedom’s Amicus Curiae brief is available here.
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Advocates for Faith & Freedom is a non-profit law firm dedicated to protecting constitutional and religious liberty in the courts. Our mission is to engage in cases that will uphold our religious liberty and America’s heritage and to educate Americans about our fundamental constitutional rights.