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Press Releases
Press Release | U.S. Department Of Justice Sides With Female Athletes In Title IX Battle Over Male Athlete On Girls’ Team
ADVOCATES FOR FAITH & FREEDOM
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Wednesday, May 28, 2025
CONTACT: Nicole Velasco
NVELASCO@FAITH-FREEDOM.COM
Murrieta, CA— In a pivotal turn of events, the United States Department of Justice has formally entered the legal battle to save girls’ sports in California, filing a Statement of Interest in a federal lawsuit brought by Advocates for Faith & Freedom on behalf of two courageous female high school athletes in a Southern California school district.
The Department of Justice’s filing sends a clear message: Title IX was designed to protect biological females in sports, not to be twisted into a tool that allows boys to displace girls on the track, the podium, or in scholarship opportunities.
“This case has always been about common sense, fairness, and the plain meaning of the law,” said Advocates attorney Julianne Fleischer. “The Department of Justice’s filing makes it clear that allowing biological males to compete against girls violates the very heart of Title IX. Girls’ sports were never meant to be a social experiment, they exist so that girls can win, lead, and thrive on a level playing field.”
In the Statement of Interest filed on May 28, 2025, the Department of Justice states unequivocally that Title IX “explicitly acknowledges fundamental differences in the way girls and boys participate in sports” and that those differences justify the existence of separate teams. The Department of Justice affirmed that allowing a male athlete to compete as a female “upsets the level playing field” and interferes with the equal opportunity for females to fully participate in and enjoy the educational benefits of athletics.
The Department of Justice also referenced Executive Order 14201, “Keeping Men Out of Women’s Sports,” which reinforces federal policy to “affirmatively protect all-female athletic opportunities and all-female locker rooms”, a pointed defense of the biological distinctions Title IX was crafted to protect.
The federal lawsuit centers on a female high school athlete who was removed from the Varsity Top 7 cross-country roster after a male athlete—who had transferred schools and previously excelled as the top runner—was given preferential treatment and allowed to join the girls’ team. The male athlete proceeded to displace other female athletes from races, podium spots, and college scouting opportunities. When the athletes wore shirts with the message “Save Girls’ Sports,” district administrators forced them to cover or remove the shirts.
The plaintiffs seek declaratory and injunctive relief to restore fairness and reinstate their rights under Title IX. The DOJ’s Statement of Interest bolsters the core of the case: that permitting biological males to compete in female sports violates the letter and spirit of federal law.
The case is set for hearing in the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California on June 20, 2025, where the State and the School District are asking the Court to dismiss the case.
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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 | Federal Court Dismisses Parental Rights Lawsuit — Advocates For Faith & Freedom Appeal California Vaccine Mandate To Ninth Circuit
ADVOCATES FOR FAITH & FREEDOM
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Wednesday, April 16, 2025
CONTACT: Nicole Velasco
NVELASCO@FAITH-FREEDOM.COM
Murrieta, CA— Today, Advocates for Faith and Freedom appealed a United States District Court for the Southern District of California’s decision granting the State of California’s motion to dismiss a lawsuit challenging the constitutionality of Senate Bill 277 (SB 277), the 2016 law that eliminated all personal and religious belief exemptions from California’s state law which requires 17 vaccinations for K-12 school attendance.[1] Despite the district court’s decision to dismiss the case, Advocates for Faith & Freedom is appealing to the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit to protect religious liberty and parental rights in education.
The plaintiffs in the case, four California mothers, brought this challenge to SB 277 on the grounds that the law violates their First Amendment right to the free exercise of religion and to live out and remain faithful to their sincerely held religious beliefs by raising their children in accordance with their family’s shared faith. For families who object to vaccinations on religious grounds, California law effectively bans their children from attending both public and private schools in California.
“This law targets families of faith by denying them the basic right to make medical and educational decisions. The law takes the drastic step of banning children from the schoolhouse due to their sincerely held religious beliefs and those of their families. Yet, the law makes numerous exemptions for non-religious reasons such as the student’s age, need for specialized learning accommodations, availability of vaccination records, etc. The parents we represent think remaining true to their faith is at least as important as the numerous non-faith based categories that California already exempts,” said Robert Tyler, President of Advocates for Faith & Freedom. “We are appealing because California cannot simply erase the Constitution when it becomes politically inconvenient. This is about more than vaccines,” Mr. Tyler added. “It’s about the future of religious liberty and parental rights in America.”
In its ruling, the district court held that SB 277 is a “neutral and generally applicable” law, even though it permits secular exemptions for a number of secular reasons while offering no accommodation for religious beliefs. This double standard sets a dangerous precedent, tipping the scales of power from parents to the State in matters of personal belief and family life.
“At the heart of this case is a simple truth: parents, not the State, are the rightful stewards of their children’s wellbeing,” said Advocates attorney Julianne Fleischer. “We cannot remain silent while the government tramples the constitutional rights of Christian families whose only ‘offense’ is raising their children according to their faith.”
[1] https://www.cdph.ca.gov/Programs/CID/DCDC/CDPH%20Document%20Library/Immunization/IMM-231.pdf
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Press Release | SCHOOL BOARD WIN VINDICATED: COURT REJECTS ATTEMPT TO OVERTURN GRASSROOTS VICTORY
ADVOCATES FOR FAITH & FREEDOM
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 7, 2025
CONTACT: Nicole Velasco
NVELASCO@FAITH-FREEDOM.COM
Murrieta, CA— In a decisive victory for the will of the people, Mercy Peña will retain her duly elected seat on the Greenfield School District Board of Trustees following the court’s denial of a last-ditch effort to overturn her hard-earned grassroots victory. The ruling confirms what has been clear from the start – Ms. Peña’s victory reflects the true voice of the voters.
Ms. Peña, a dedicated community member and advocate for parental rights in education, overcame staggering odds to secure her seat with 1,012 votes against the incumbent’s 1,008. Running without the financial backing or political machinery enjoyed by career politicians, Ms. Peña took her message directly to the people, engaging in a relentless door-to-door campaign.
However, after the election results were certified and Ms. Peña was sworn into office, political opponents sought to undo the will of the voters by contesting the results. Citing an administrative ballot error by the Kern County Elections Division, petitioners attempted to force a new election, despite failing to provide any evidence that the alleged improperly cast votes affected the outcome.
“This was never about fairness or integrity—it was about a school board trying to silence the voters and push their own agenda,” said Robert Tyler, attorney for Ms. Peña. “The court saw through this blatant power grab and upheld the will of the people. Mercy Peña was elected to serve the community, not the board’s special interests, and that’s exactly what she will continue to do.”
Notably, the court found no evidence of misconduct by Ms. Peña or the Elections Division. The law is clear: in order to overturn an election, petitioners must demonstrate that the alleged illegal votes changed the outcome—something they utterly failed to do. Despite this, the Greenfield Union School District itself joined the challenge against Ms. Peña, raising serious concerns about conflicts of interest and the misuse of taxpayer resources to target an elected official.
“This was never about election integrity,” said Mercy Peña. “This was about keeping a conservative voice off the school board. Thankfully, justice prevailed.”
Ms. Peña remains committed to serving the families and students of Greenfield with integrity, transparency, and a firm commitment to upholding the values of parental rights and academic excellence. Her victory is not just a personal triumph, but a win for every voter who believes in fair elections and accountable governance.
As she takes her rightful place on the board, Ms. Peña invites the community to stay engaged, hold their elected officials accountable, and continue fighting for policies that put students and families first.
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