April 2025 Newsletter
Across the country, families of faith are facing mounting pressure to conform—to surrender their deeply held beliefs in exchange for government approval. In California, that pressure has turned into policy. The State has drawn a hard line between obedience to God and access to education, leaving countless Christian parents with an impossible choice. At Advocates for Faith & Freedom, we refuse to accept that choice as lawful or constitutional. That is why we are appealing the dismissal of our lawsuit against Senate Bill 277 (SB 277), a law that tramples parental rights and punishes religious conviction.
On behalf of four courageous California mothers, we have taken the next step in this battle by filing an appeal with the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals. SB 277 is not merely a public health measure—it is a calculated effort to marginalize religious families by denying them the right to make decisions rooted in faith. When the government elevates secular preferences while excluding religious conviction, it crosses a constitutional line. We are standing firm to make sure it does not go unchallenged.
SB 277 bars unvaccinated children from both public and private schools across California unless they qualify for one of several secular exemptions or conditional allowances, such as student age, special education status, foster care placement, homelessness, or lack of documentation due to immigration status. But there is no exemption for faith. That is the double standard we are taking to the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals.
This law targets families of faith by denying them the basic right to make medical and educational decisions. The Constitution does not disappear when it becomes politically inconvenient. This is about much more than vaccines. This is about the future of religious liberty in America.
The district court claimed SB 277 is “neutral and generally applicable,” yet it grants flexibility for a range of secular circumstances. The result is a law that burdens Christian families with an impossible choice: violate their convictions or forfeit their child’s education. Meanwhile, it creates carveouts for students whose circumstances do not involve any conflict of conscience, those who are spared from such a moral dilemma simply because their exemption is secular in nature. That is not neutrality; it is religious discrimination dressed up as policy.
“At the heart of this case is a simple truth: parents, not the government, are the rightful stewards of their children’s wellbeing,” said Julianne Fleischer, counsel for Advocates. “We will not stand by while the State tramples on the constitutional rights of Christian families.”
This appeal matters. And because we are a pro bono law firm, our clients pay nothing. That is critical, because our opponents include government agencies with bottomless budgets and political motives. But we believe truth, backed by conviction, is mightier than any dollar amount.
Our Work Does Not End in the Courtroom
Litigation is only one part of what we do. Not every act of advocacy ends in a lawsuit, but every effort matters. In many instances, a carefully crafted demand letter is all it takes to correct unlawful policies, protect free speech, or restore access to public spaces. In other instances, we file or endorse amicus briefs, legal documents submitted to the courts to support ongoing cases that are vital to our mission.
An amicus brief, Latin for “friend of the court”, is how we add legal weight to cases that impact parental rights, freedom of speech, and religious liberty, even when we are not representing the primary party.
Most recently, we joined others in supporting Julie Mauch, a California mother and grandmother who was harassed and targeted by her local government for challenging dangerous, progressive school policies. We signed on to a compelling amicus brief defending her right to speak out, believe boldly, and raise her family in accordance with her Christian values.
This Fight Belongs to All of Us
We are defending far more than four mothers. We are defending every parent who wants to raise their children without government interference. Every pastor who wants to preach without fear. Every student who wants to live and speak according to their faith.
And we are doing it pro bono—because religious liberty should not come with a price tag.
If you believe in this mission, now is the time to act. Your support fuels this fight. Your prayers sustain us. Your voice strengthens the movement.
From all of us at Advocates for Faith & Freedom, thank you. We could not do this work without the faithful partnership of those who stand with us in defense of truth, liberty, and the God-given rights of every family.
In His Service,
Robert Tyler
President and General Counsel
And these words which I command you today shall be in your heart. You shall teach them
diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house,
when you walk by the way, when you lie down, and when you rise up.
Deuteronomy 6:6-7