Grace Church
A biological man, who identifies as a transgender woman and works in the children's section of a library, filed a defamation lawsuit in Missouri state court against Grace Church.
In May of 2024, Danny Roberson, a biological man who identifies as a transgender woman and works in the children’s section of a library, filed a lawsuit in Missouri state court alleging defamation against Rachel Homolak and Grace Church.
The Complaint specifically alleges that Grace Church hosted a Civic Engagement panel encouraging church members to engage with their community. During this panel, one panel member mentioned that a transgender individual was working at the children’s section of the library and that these are the types of issues parents need to know and speak up about. The Complaint further claims that Homolak's appearances on podcasts and constitutionally-protected Facebook posts defamed him.
Plaintiff specifically seeks to hold the Church liable for holding the Civic Engagement panel and publishing the audio and video of the panel on various media platforms.
Neither the Church or Homolak made any defamatory comments about Mr. Roberson.
PRESS RELEASE | MISSOURI COURT PROTECTS FREE SPEECH IN CHURCH CLASH WITH GENDER IDEOLOGY
ADVOCATES FOR FAITH & FREEDOM
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Thursday, September 4, 2025
CONTACT: Lori Sanada @
media@faith-freedom.COM
St. Charles, Missouri—Advocates for Faith & Freedom announces today that the St. Charles Circuit Court has granted every motion to dismiss in favor of the Defendants in Roberson v. Grace Church. The Court threw out the Plaintiff’s defamation and conspiracy claims, which the Defendants argued were without merit. The Court’s ruling reaffirms the constitutional protections of Free Speech and Religious Liberty.
The lawsuit, filed by Plaintiff, stated that Plaintiff, born a biological man, wears “masculine and feminine clothing” with “make-up (mascara and eye shadow)” and has a beard or goatee, which was referred to in the legal filings as Plaintiff’s “natural facial hair.” The legal filings describe how plaintiff worked at the public library, which included a rotation in the children’s section of the public library. The Defendants, which included individuals from the community such as Jane Puszkar, Vanessa Hagedorn, and Rachel Homolak, as well as Grace Church advocated for the library to adopt a gender-neutral dress code because the Plaintiff’s gender non-conforming dress created confusion in young children’s minds, as they were not mature or developed enough to process the experience. For voicing concerns about exposing young children to gender ideology, Defendants were sued by Plaintiff for alleged defamation and conspiracy. After careful review of the allegations, however, the Court dismissed each and every claim against the Defendants, finding them legally insufficient.
“This case was built on meritless claims that sought to silence churches and concerned citizens,” said Bob Tyler, President and Chief Counsel of Advocates for Faith & Freedom. “The Court’s decision is more than just a dismissal—it is a resounding victory for Free Speech and Religious Liberty. The First Amendment protects the right of churches and individuals to speak and live out their faith without fear of retaliation through baseless lawsuits.”
With the ruling, Grace Church can focus fully on its mission of serving the St. Charles community and advancing its ministry, and the individual Defendants such as Jane Puszkar, Vanessa Hagedorn, and Rachel Homolak may continue on with their lives without threat of financial ruin. While the Plaintiff may still pursue appeal, the decision marks an important legal affirmation of the First Amendment rights guaranteed to churches and faithful individuals across Missouri and the United States.
“This outcome strengthens the principle that the courts will not be used to punish people of faith for speaking openly and truthfully,” added Erin Mersino of Advocates for Faith & Freedom. “The Court found that the allegations against our Clients were legally insufficient on their face and dismissed them at the earliest possible time. And even though we believe that this case should never have been brought in the first place, our clients’ response has been inspiring. They faced this unjust lawsuit with courage, strength, and resolve. We celebrate this victory with them.”
The St. Charles Circuit Court Opinion is available here.
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PRESS RELEASE | MISSOURI CHURCH SUED BY TRANSGENDER LIBRARIAN FILES MOTION TO DISmISS
ADVOCATES FOR FAITH & FREEDOM
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Friday, August 16, 2024
CONTACT: nicole velasco @
media@faith-freedom.COM
Murrieta, CA— Yesterday, Advocates for Faith and Freedom filed a motion to dismiss a frivolous defamation lawsuit filed against client Rachel Homolak by Danny Roberson, a biological man. Roberson publicly expressed his beliefs on gender ideology by wearing female clothing, make-up and facial hair while working in the children’s section of a public library. When Grace Church and Homolak publicly expressed their differing views on gender ideology and impacts on children, Roberson immediately filed a lawsuit. The lawsuit alleged Homolak and Grace Church defamed Roberson for posting their views on Facebook and podcasts, as well as during a Civic Engagement panel highlighting concerns about gender ideology and current culture wars.
Neither Homolak or the Church made any defamatory comments about Mr. Roberson.
“Plaintiff’s freedom to publicly express his views on gender ideology triggers others’ freedom to do the same,” said Advocates legal counsel Kelly Chang Rickert. “Free speech isn’t unilateral - Defendants should not be punished for voicing their differing worldviews.”
“The freedom to worship, assemble, and speak are fundamental rights guaranteed to every American,” said Bethany Onishenko, an attorney with Advocates for Faith and Freedom. “The facts of this case fail to support the plaintiff’s claims. Neither Ms. Homolak nor Grace Church made any defamatory statements about the plaintiff. Any opinions or concerns expressed are fully protected by the First Amendment.
“Parents have every right to know who is interacting with their children,” said Rachel Homolak. “This suit against me has no merit and I am confident that the court will rule in our favor and dismiss it. I will continue to use my voice to stand up for parents and protect children.”
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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.
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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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