Freedom Updates
Press Releases
Press Release | Temecula Valley Unified School Board Takes Next Step In Fight Against Divisive Ideologies Following Court Ruling
ADVOCATES FOR FAITH & FREEDOM
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: wednesday, june 25, 2025
CONTACT: nicole velasco @
media@faith-freedom.COM
Murrieta, CA – Yesterday, the Temecula Valley Unified School District Board (Board) voted unanimously in closed session to rescind Resolution 2022-23/21 concerning Critical Race Theory (CRT). This decision follows recent guidance from the California Court of Appeal.
While we respectfully disagree with the Court of Appeal’s ruling, it does provide a framework for the District to move forward. The Board has requested Advocates for Faith & Freedom assist its CRT subcommittee in drafting a new resolution or policy that complies with the law while also staying true to the community’s values. We commend the Board for its continued commitment to ensuring that students are taught in an environment free from racism, discrimination, and ideological indoctrination.
Advocates for Faith & Freedom is honored to assist the Board in crafting a lawful policy that affirms a timeless and self-evident truth — that “all men are created equal.” Our goal remains steadfast: to help the District adopt policies that promote mutual respect, equal treatment, and the fundamental dignity of every student, regardless of race or background.
This is not a retreat but a recalibration. We will continue working with the Board to ensure that future policies reject divisive ideologies and instead foster unity, respect, and equality for all.
The court filings, prior media, and photographs may be found here: School District Sued for Restriction on CRT — Advocates For Faith & Freedom (faith-freedom.com)
###
Press Release | Calvary Chapel San Jose Urges California Supreme Court to Reverse Unjust $1.2 Million Fine and Defend Religious Freedom
ADVOCATES FOR FAITH & FREEDOM
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: FRIDAY, JUNE 13, 2025
CONTACT: Nicole Velasco
NVELASCO@FAITH-FREEDOM.COM
Murrieta, CA— In a pivotal case for religious liberty, Calvary Chapel San Jose and its senior pastor, Mike McClure, have petitioned the California Supreme Court to overturn a $1.2 million fine imposed for holding worship services during COVID-19 lockdowns—restrictions that courts have already deemed unconstitutional.
Filed by Advocates for Faith & Freedom, the Petition for Review urges the high court to resolve critical constitutional questions involving religious liberty, due process, and protection from excessive government punishment. At stake is not just justice for Calvary Chapel, but the broader freedom of churches across California to worship without fear of punishment.
“This case is about far more than a fine, it is about the condition of religious liberty in California,” said attorney Robert Tyler. “Calvary Chapel did what the Church has always been called to do: gather in worship, stand in faith, and care for one another in a time of fear and deep need.”
The Petition emphasizes that while Santa Clara County permitted secular exemptions, from construction sites to cigar lounges to nail salons, it singled out religious gatherings for punishment, in direct violation of the Free Exercise Clause.
Adding to the constitutional concerns, the Santa Clara County’s fines are based on a temporary restraining order that was later ruled unconstitutional. Still, the Court of Appeal upheld sanctions tied to that void order, threatening the rule of law and enabling government overreach.
A serious due process failure is also at stake. Santa Clara County claims it served Calvary Chapel with a notice of violation but offered no proof the Church ever received it. The lower court accepted this version without a trial, denying the Church its basic right to be heard.
Finally, the Petition argues the $1.2 million in fines is not only unjust, but unconstitutional. Under the Eighth Amendment, excessive fines are prohibited, especially when imposed on citizens exercising core First Amendment rights. Calvary Chapel acted in good faith, followed its calling, and saw no COVID-19 cases linked to its services. Yet Santa Clara County treated them like criminals.
“We answer first and foremost to God,” states Pastor Mike McClure. “When government commands what God forbids, or forbids what God commands, they have crossed a line our founders would have never permitted and our duty is clear. We gathered in obedience to Christ, and we will continue to stand firm in our allegiance to our Creator who is worthy of our praise. Our trust is not in the courts, but in the Lord who sees and judges righteously.”
The California Supreme Court is now being asked to take up the case to protect churches, uphold the Constitution, and ensure that no government can punish faith communities for fulfilling their sacred mission, especially in a time of crisis.
###
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 Defends Right To Speak Truth In Counseling
ADVOCATES FOR FAITH & FREEDOM
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Wednesday, JUNE 11, 2025
CONTACT: Nicole Velasco
NVELASCO@FAITH-FREEDOM.COM
Murrieta, CA— Today, Advocates for Faith & Freedom, alongside NC Values Institute, filed an amicus curiae brief in the Supreme Court of the United States in the case Chiles v. Salazar, urging the Court to reverse the Tenth Circuit’s decision and affirm the First Amendment protections for religious counselors.
At the heart of the case is Kaley Chiles, a licensed counselor who offers faith-based counseling services rooted in Christian teachings. Colorado’s so-called “Censorship Law” violates the free speech and religious liberty rights of counselors like Chiles—and the clients they seek to help—by banning conversations that support a person’s desire to live according to their God-given biological sex and biblical convictions about sexuality. The law allows and even encourages counseling consistent with secular or progressive views on gender identity, but censors guidance rooted in religious convictions. This blatant double standard tramples free speech and religious freedom, and we are urging the Supreme Court to put a stop to it.
“The First Amendment does not allow the government to silence religious speech simply because it conflicts with current political trends,” said Robert Tyler, President of Advocates for Faith & Freedom. “Colorado’s law forces counselors to abandon their deeply held religious beliefs if they wish to continue serving clients, striking at the core of our constitutional guarantees of free speech and free exercise of religion.”
The brief argues that Colorado’s law regulates pure speech, not conduct, and unlawfully discriminates based on content and viewpoint, violations long recognized as antithetical to the First Amendment. It also highlights that counseling is inherently value-driven and often religious in nature, making the state’s imposition of a secular orthodoxy not only unconstitutional, but profoundly hostile to religious conscience.
“Our Constitution was designed to protect the free exchange of ideas, especially when those ideas are unpopular,” added Julianne Fleischer, Counsel with Advocates for Faith & Freedom. “When the government demands conformity on matters of faith and morality, it crosses a dangerous line.”
Advocates for Faith & Freedom remains committed to defending Americans’ rights to live and work in accordance with their faith. The Supreme Court’s decision in this case could have far-reaching consequences for religious liberty, free speech, and the integrity of the counseling profession nationwide.
###
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.