Freedom Updates
Advocates in Action
California Fined a Church Millions for Worshiping
Dear Friend,
What happens when a government decides that worship is “non-essential”?
For Calvary Chapel San Jose and Pastor Mike McClure, that question is not theoretical. It has become a six-year legal battle that now stands before the highest court in the nation.
During California’s COVID restrictions, government officials allowed numerous secular activities to continue while churches faced severe limitations on gathering for worship. For Calvary Chapel San Jose, the choice was clear: remain faithful to God’s calling and continue meeting for worship, believing that gathering together, preaching God’s Word, worship, prayer, communion, and fellowship are essential functions of the Church, not privileges granted by the government.
What followed was an extraordinary campaign of government enforcement.
Santa Clara County is seeking $2.37 million in fines and legal fees against the church. County officials monitored attendance, sought injunctions, pursued contempt sanctions, and employed geofencing technology to track the movements of worshippers through their cell phones. Not because a crime had been committed, but because a church continued to gather for worship. The county then attempted to financially cripple a congregation whose only “offense” was remaining faithful to its biblical convictions.
This is not simply a dispute about COVID policies. It is about a far more important question: Who has authority over the Church?
Can government officials dictate how worship is conducted, how many believers may gather, whether congregants may sing, or whether pastors must choose compliance with government mandates over obedience to God?
Advocates for Faith & Freedom has stood alongside Calvary Chapel San Jose throughout this fight and is seeking review before the United States Supreme Court.
This case reaches far beyond a single church in California. The Court’s decision could help define the limits of government authority during times of crisis and determine whether churches and people of faith receive the same constitutional protections as everyone else. The outcome could have lasting implications for religious liberty, not only for churches, but also for ministries, religious schools, faith-based organizations, and believers across the nation.
At stake is more than one congregation. At stake is whether constitutional protections remain meaningful when they are needed most.
The First Amendment was not written to protect popular beliefs or convenient worship. It was written to protect the free exercise of religion when government pressure is at its greatest.
The Supreme Court now has an opportunity to send a clear message: government officials do not have the authority to punish churches for faithfully carrying out their mission.
Please pray for Pastor Mike McClure, Calvary Chapel San Jose, our legal team, and the justices who will consider this important case. The decision could help determine whether future generations inherit a nation where religious liberty is protected or merely tolerated.
The challenges facing people of faith today are not growing smaller. Across the country, churches, ministries, parents, and individuals continue to face increasing pressure for simply living according to their convictions.
At Advocates for Faith & Freedom, we are privileged to stand alongside them. We do so because these cases are about far more than legal disputes. They are about protecting the freedoms that allow future generations to worship freely, speak truth boldly, and live according to their faith.
As a nonprofit law firm, we rely entirely on the prayers and generosity of those who share that vision. Every victory, every brief filed, every family served, and every constitutional right defended is made possible by faithful supporters who stand with us in this mission.
Thank you for your partnership, your prayers, and your commitment to faith, family, and freedom. We could not do this work without you.
In Christ,
Robert Tyler
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CALIFORNIA SCHOOL DISTRICT MOVES TO RESTOREPARENTAL RIGHTS AFTER SUPREME COURT REBUKE OFCALIFORNIA SECRECY POLICIES
ADVOCATES FOR FAITH & FREEDOM
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: WEDNESDAY, MAY 6 2026
CONTACT: NICOLE VELASCO AT
MEDIA@FAITH-FREEDOM.COM
Murrieta, California — Advocates for Faith & Freedom, together with California Justice Center, has filed a motion on behalf of the Chino Valley Unified School District to dissolve a court injunction that blocked its parental notification policy.
The motion follows a landmark ruling by the United States Supreme Court in Mirabelli v. Bonta, which held that policies preventing parental notification regarding a child’s gender identity or social transition likely violate the Constitution.
In light of this decision, the District is asking the court to dissolve the October 3, 2024 permanent injunction that prohibited enforcement of its parental notification policy.
“This is a defining moment for parental rights in America,” said Robert Tyler, President and Chief Counsel of Advocates for Faith & Freedom. “The Supreme Court has made clear that parents are not to be sidelined in the most important decisions affecting their children. Government policies that hide critical information from parents are not only wrong, they are unconstitutional. Courts must now bring their rulings into alignment with that truth.”
“Chino Valley is now in the impossible position of being subject to two conflicting permanent injunctions—one from the Mirabelli case requiring Chino to notify parents if their child asks to change their gender and the other from AG Bonta’s 2023 case against Chino that prohibits Chino’s parental notification policy,” said Emily Rae, President of California Justice Center. “We filed this suit with Advocates for Faith & Freedom to ensure that Chino has clarity moving forward and to stand up for the rights of Chino Valley parents.”
The District’s policy, adopted in July 2023, required schools to notify parents when a student requested to be treated as a gender different from their biological sex, including changes to name, pronouns, or access to facilities.
That policy was enjoined following litigation brought by the State of California. However, the Supreme Court’s ruling in Mirabelli represents a material change in controlling law, directly undermining the legal foundation of the injunction.
The motion argues that continued enforcement of the injunction would place the District in direct conflict with federal constitutional protections and require conduct that infringes on the rights of parents.
A hearing is scheduled for August 19, 2026, in the Superior Court of California, County of San Bernardino.
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FEDERAL COURT REOPENS LANDMARK LAWSUIT: VICTORY FOR FEMALE ATHLETES AND FREE SPEECH AS MONETARY DAMAGES CLAIMS PROCEED AGAINST RIVERSIDE UNIFIED SCHOOL DISTRICT
ADVOCATES FOR FAITH & FREEDOM
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: TUESDAY, MARCH 17 2026
CONTACT: NICOLE VELASCO AT
MEDIA@FAITH-FREEDOM.COM
For Immediate Release, Murrieta, CA – Advocates for Faith & Freedom today announced a major victory in the ongoing fight to protect girls’ sports and free speech rights. The United States District Court for the Central District of California has granted in part Plaintiffs’ Motion for Reconsideration, reopening the case and allowing key claims for monetary damages to move forward against the Riverside Unified School District (RUSD).
The lawsuit was brought on behalf of two brave female high school athletes, T.S. and K.S., along with their families and the Save Girls’ Sports organization. It challenges RUSD’s implementation of California’s AB 1266, which forces schools to allow biological males to compete on girls’ teams and use female facilities. The complaint also addresses retaliation against the girls for exercising their First Amendment rights—specifically, wearing T-shirts expressing their belief that girls’ sports should be reserved for biological females.
In February 2026, the Court had dismissed the entire action as moot. However, after Plaintiffs filed their Motion for Reconsideration, U.S. District Judge Sunshine S. Sykes ruled on March 16, 2026 that key Title IX claims seeking monetary damages against the school district were improperly dismissed. The Court also ruled that the student-athletes’ claims alleging violations of their constitutional rights under the First and Fourteenth Amendments may proceed against the school defendants.
While the Court maintained that certain requests for prospective relief were moot, it confirmed that the girls’ claims for damages remain alive and that the case will now move forward in federal court. The Court ordered RUSD to file an Answer by Friday, March 27, 2026.
“This ruling is an important step toward accountability,” said Julianne Fleischer, Senior Legal Counsel for Advocates for Faith & Freedom, which represents the student-athletes. “These young women were told their opportunities did not matter, that fairness in girls’ sports could be sacrificed to political ideology. This decision ensures their voices will be heard in court.”
The case centers on policies that allowed biological males to compete in girls’ athletic competitions, displacing female athletes and undermining the purpose of Title IX – one of the nation’s most important civil rights protections for women and girls.
Title IX was enacted to ensure equal athletic opportunities for female athletes. Advocates for Faith & Freedom argues that allowing biological males to compete in girls’ sports erodes those protections and violates the constitutional rights of the young women forced to compete against them.
“Girls deserve a level playing field,” continued Ms. Fleischer. “No amount of political pressure can erase biological reality. When schools sacrifice fairness to ideology, the law must step in.”
Advocates for Faith & Freedom remains committed to defending the rights of female athletes across the country and ensuring that the protections promised under Title IX are not reinterpreted or undermined by unlawful policies.”
“This fight is far from over,” the Ms. Fleischer added. “But today’s ruling confirms that these girls, and the truth they are standing for, will not be silenced.”
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