Freedom Updates
Advocates in Action
JUDGE’S ERRONEOUS DISMISSAL OF GIRLS’ SPORTS CASE DRAWS MOTION FOR RECONSIDERATION AS SUPREME COURT DECISION LOOMS
ADVOCATES FOR FAITH & FREEDOM
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: THURSDAY, MARCH 5 2026
CONTACT: NICOLE VELASCO AT
MEDIA@FAITH-FREEDOM.COM
For Immediate Release, Murrieta, CA – Advocates for Faith & Freedom has filed a motion asking a federal court to reconsider a sweeping dismissal of its lawsuit defending female athletes from California policies that allow biological males to compete in girls’ sports.
The lawsuit, brought on behalf of student-athletes and the organization Save Girls’ Sports, challenges California’s enforcement of AB 1266 and related school policies that force female athletes to compete with and against biological males and punish students who speak out about it.
The court dismissed the entire case after concluding the dispute had become “moot” because one of the male athletes identified in the complaint graduated. But the ruling went far beyond the issues raised in the motions before the court. The judge dismissed all eight claims, including claims that defendants never asked the court to dismiss and claims seeking monetary damages for past harm.
In response, Advocates for Faith & Freedom has filed a motion for reconsideration explaining that the decision ignored controlling law and overlooked key facts. The lawsuit includes claims for monetary damages under Title IX and federal civil rights law – claims that cannot be declared moot simply because a student has graduated.
The motion also points out that the policies allowing biological males to compete in girls’ sports remain fully in place and continue to impact female athletes today. Plaintiffs have already identified another male athlete competing in girls’ events under the same policy, demonstrating the controversy is ongoing.
Advocates says the decision comes at a remarkable moment in the national legal landscape.
Within months, the United States Supreme Court is expected to rule in cases involving many of the same legal questions – whether biological males can compete in women’s sports and access female spaces.
“The legal tide on this issue is unmistakable,” said Advocates Senior Legal Counsel, Julianne Fleischer. “The Supreme Court is preparing to address these questions directly, and the momentum across the country is moving toward restoring the protections Title IX was designed to guarantee.”
“We are litigating in the belly of the beast,” said Robert Tyler, President and Chief Counsel of Advocates for Faith & Freedom. “California has pushed some of the most aggressive policies in the nation, even as the Supreme Court has recently struck down unconstitutional laws coming out of this state.”
Advocates for Faith & Freedom remains confident that the law, and ultimately the courts, will vindicate the rights of female athletes.
“The writing is on the wall,” Robert Tyler added. “The overwhelming weight of the Constitution, Title IX, and the direction of the Supreme Court all point the same way. We are confident that women’s sports will be protected and that these young women will ultimately prevail.”
The case is far from over. Plaintiffs are asking the court to correct its ruling and allow the claims to proceed so the underlying constitutional and civil rights violations can be addressed.
“Female athletes deserve fairness,” Julianne Fleischer stated. “And we intend to see this fight through until the law is enforced.”
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PRESS RELEASE | SEVEN AMICUS BRIEFS URGE SUPREME COURT TO TAKE CHURCH FINES CASE: STATE OF WEST VIRGINIA LEADS SUPPORT
ADVOCATES FOR FAITH & FREEDOM
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: TUESDAY, JANUARY 20 2026
CONTACT: NICOLE VELASCO AT
MEDIA@FAITH-FREEDOM.COM
Washington D.C. — As Advocates for Faith & Freedom and the American Center for Law & Justice ask the United States Supreme Court to reverse California’s $3 million of fines and attorneys’ fees against Calvary Chapel San Jose for their religious worship, seven amicus curiae briefs have now been filed in support of position. The seven briefs urge the Court to take the case.
Most notably, the State of West Virginia, joined by 19 additional states, has stepped forward signaling the high stakes and national implications of our case. Our First Amendment freedoms hang in the balance, and our case demonstrates the real dangers of unchecked government power over the Church.
The amici make clear that this case reaches far beyond one congregation or one state. They warn that if massive financial penalties for worship are allowed to stand, government officials will be emboldened to use economic coercion to force churches into submission whenever an “emergency” is declared.
“This is not about pandemic policy. It is about whether the First Amendment has any force to protect a churches worship services when a government claims emergency powers,” said Robert Tyler, President and Chief Counsel for Advocates for Faith & Freedom. “A government that can fine a church into submission can silence any church.”
The briefs underscore that California defied Supreme Court precedent, imposed ruinous fines, and treated religious worship worse than comparable secular activity. Without Supreme Court intervention, that dangerous precedent will remain.
The Court will now decide whether it will step in to halt the weaponization of government power against churches and reaffirm that constitutional rights do not disappear in times of crisis.
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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 | CALIFORNIA FINES CHURCH $1.2 MILLION FOR WORSHIP; NOW THE SUPREME COURT MUST DECIDE IF THE CONSTITUTION STILL STANDS
ADVOCATES FOR FAITH & FREEDOM
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: FRIDAY, DECEMBER 12, 2025
CONTACT: NICOLE VELASCO
MEDIA@FAITH-FREEDOM.COM
Washington D.C. — Advocates for Faith & Freedom, in partnership with the American Center for Law & Justice, has filed a Petition for Writ of Certiorari asking the United States Supreme Court to overturn more than $1.2 million in fines imposed on Calvary Chapel San Jose and Pastor Mike McClure for the simple act of gathering to worship.
This case stands as one of the clearest examples of government overreach against a church in modern American history.
During COVID, California forced churches to close, restrict worship, and enforce mandates that violated Calvary Chapel’s sincerely held beliefs. At the very same time, the state allowed widespread exemptions for secular operations such as restaurants, athletic programs, and government offices.
Calvary Chapel chose obedience to Scripture over obedience to shifting political orders. The county retaliated with rapidly escalating fines that soared to $5,000 per day, ultimately exceeding $1.2 million, along with coercive demands for sworn compliance with orders later deemed unconstitutional.
In addition to the $1,228,700 judgment, Santa Clara County is seeking $1,098,244 in attorneys’ fees and $45,753 in costs, which remain stayed pending appeal. If imposed, the total financial burden on Calvary Chapel would exceed $2.37 million – a staggering sum designed to punish a church for worshipping God during a crisis.
The petition emphasizes that the Supreme Court has already ruled in Tandon v. Newsom that government cannot treat religious gatherings worse than comparable secular activities. California ignored that mandate and continued to target churches.
“Government officials may not weaponize emergencies to suspend the First Amendment,” said Erin Mersino, Vice President and Chief of Supreme Court and Appellate Litigation for Advocates for Faith & Freedom. “California imposed some of the most aggressive restrictions on churches in the country, and this case is about ensuring the government never does this again.”
The petition asks the Supreme Court to resolve four pressing constitutional issues:
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Whether government may dictate the internal practices of worship.
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Whether restrictions with secular exemptions must face strict scrutiny.
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Whether massive financial penalties for worship violate the First Amendment.
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Whether the Excessive Fines Clause protects churches from multi-million-dollar punishment.
“Freedom means nothing if the government can fine churches into submission,” said Joel Oster, Vice President and Chief of Trial Litigation for Advocates for Faith & Freedom. “If local officials can impose crushing penalties until churches surrender their constitutional rights, then those rights do not exist in any meaningful way.”
Although the pandemic has ended, the precedent remains. Without Supreme Court intervention, state and local officials will be free to target churches during any future emergency and punish ministries for simply remaining faithful.
Calvary Chapel opened its doors because God commanded them to gather. Now the Supreme Court must decide whether the government has the authority to punish a church for obedience to God.
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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.