Freedom Updates
Advocates in Action
Press Release | California Court Rules in Favor of Temecula Valley Unified School District Over Parental Rights Fight
ADVOCATES FOR FAITH & FREEDOM
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Friday, February 23, 2024
CONTACT: nicole velasco @
media@faith-freedom.COM
Murrieta, CA – Today, a California Court ruled in favor of the Temecula Valley Unified School District, affirming the district’s parental notification policy and a resolution prohibiting the teaching of critical race theory (CRT). Last year, a lawsuit was filed against the school district by a group of political activists and the Temecula Valley Educators Association, challenging a resolution that restricts false and divisive CRT curriculum and requires teachers to inform parents of their students’ gender transition.
“This is a win for commonsense, parents, and the safety of students,” says Robert Tyler, President of Advocates for Faith & Freedom. “TVUSD is committed to providing a quality education free from political agendas and free from dishonest and divisive curriculum. This ruling allows TVUSD to continue implementing these sound policies.”
“This was a hard-fought battle that paid off for parents,” said Mariah Gondeiro, Vice President of Advocates for Faith & Freedom. “This ruling vindicates the actions taken by the TVUSD School Board who put the rights of parents and the safety of students over the wishes of special interest groups.”
“Despite the small but vocal opponents that seek to rewrite history and indoctrinate students, I am very optimistic for our school district,” says Dr. Joseph Komrosky, President of the school board. “I believe that the diversity that exists among the District’s community of students, staff, parents, and guardians is an asset to be honored and valued. These policies were enacted by the school board to ensure our district puts the needs of students and their parents above all else. Our district remains focused on providing a holistic education for all of our students, free from both discrimination and indoctrination.”
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)
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2024 National Gathering for Prayer & Repentance
This year, we were privileged once more to take part in the National Day for Prayer and Repentance, standing alongside numerous persecuted pastors of America, several of whom are our clients. Together, we lifted our prayers to God for our state, our nation, and for repentance.
May our organization continually walk in the will of the Lord, and may our nation earnestly seek His presence, ushering Him back into our country and culture.
Press Release | Santa Clara County Judge Certifies COVID-19 Vaccine Lawsuit As A Class Action
Advocates for Faith & Freedom
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Tuesday, January 30, 2024
CONTACT: nicole velasco @
media@faith-freedom.COM
The Class Action Allows Hundreds of Employees the Opportunity to Prove Their Damages
Murrieta, CA – Monday evening, January 29, 2024, Federal Judge Beth Labson Freeman of the Northern District of California certified a vaccine-related lawsuit as a class action for liability purposes, allowing hundreds of employees in Santa Clara County who were placed on unpaid leave for refusing to take the COVID-19 vaccine to prove their damages.
This case challenges the County’s discriminatory COVID-19 vaccine orders and practices, which relegated employees to unpaid leave, even if they had a religious exemption. The January 29 order allows the Plaintiffs to proceed to trial on behalf of a class of hundreds of employees in the County who declined to take the vaccine due to their religious convictions.
Specifically, the Court certified the following class:
All individuals who: 1) work or worked for the County and/or [] were subject to its vaccine policies and orders, including the Risk Tier System; 2) were forced by the County to choose between taking the vaccine to maintain their jobs and/or their employment-related benefits or being placed on unpaid leave; 3) were [] classified as working in high-risk jobs pursuant to the County’s Risk Tier System; and 4) received [] a religious exemption from the County (the “Class”) between August 5, 2021 and September 27, 2022 (the “Class Period”).
“We are confident that we will prevail because the County’s vaccine policies and practices were arbitrary and capricious and discriminated against religious employees,” says Mariah Gondeiro, an attorney for Advocates for Faith & Freedom. Advocates has been appointed as Co-Class Counsel along with Wolf Haldenstein Adler Freeman & Herz LLP.
“The County owes these courageous county employees, who worked faithfully throughout the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, lost wages and benefits,” says Bethany Onishenko, also an attorney with Advocates for Faith & Freedom.
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