California Department of Social Services permanently cut off a faith-based learning center’s public funding to feed needy children due to their deeply held religious beliefs regarding human sexuality.

This suit challenges the California Department of Social Services’ (CDSS) unconstitutional decision to permanently cut off public funding allocated to feed needy children at a religious preschool. This decision came as a result of the church’s perfectly lawful refusal to abdicate its deeply held religious beliefs regarding human sexuality by capitulating to CDSS’ overreaching demand to immediately and completely align all of its employment decisions, including key positions involved with inculcating religion, to the state’s new divergent sexual orthodoxy.

In spite of the fact the federal USDA appropriately exempts religious schools from sexual orientation and gender identity mandates, CDSS unlawfully permanently suspended the Preschool and its needy students from the Food Program after the Church and Preschool refused to allow the government to erase and replace their religious beliefs.

Press Release | Religious Freedom Advocates Claim Victory in California Fight for Access to Federal Food Programs 

ADVOCATES FOR FAITH & FREEDOM
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: January 23, 2024

CONTACT: Jake Matthews
jake@JLKPOLITICAL.COM

Murrieta, CA – Attorneys with Advocates for Faith and Freedom joined forces with Alliance Defending Freedom and the National Center for Law and Policy to reach a settlement to protect the rights of low-income migrant families who seek to place their children in faith-based preschool programs. The settlement acknowledges that while the Church of Compassion and Dayspring Christian Learning Center are faith-based organizations, they are eligible to continue participating in the federal food program granting access to free and reduced meals for low-income families who attend.  Officials agreed to reimburse the church more than $30,000 for the money the church paid to continue providing meals for at-need families while being kicked out of the federal food program. Officials also paid $160,000 to cover the church’s attorney’s fees. 

"This settlement is a win for religious freedom in California,” said Julianne Fleischer, legal counsel for Advocates for Faith and Freedom. “The government does not have the right to discriminate on the basis of religion. By denying access to the federal food program to religious institutions, the government is putting the health and wellbeing of impoverished youth at risk simply because of their affiliations with religious organizations.” 

“I am thankful to have the help of the attorneys at Alliance Defending Freedom and the National Center for Law and Policy. With their help, we were able to hold the government accountable and protect the religious liberty of families who are just trying to make ends meet,” Fleischer continued. 

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.

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About Advocates for Faith & Freedom (www.faith-freedom.com): Advocates for Faith & Freedom is a non-profit law firm dedicated to protecting constitutional and religious liberty in the courts.

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