ADVOCATES FOR FAITH & FREEDOM
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: WEDNEsday, OCTOBER 1, 2025
CONTACT: NICOLE VELASCO
media@FAITH-FREEDOM.COM
Washington, D.C.— Advocates for Faith & Freedom, in partnership with NC Values Institute, has filed an amicus curiae brief urging the United States Supreme Court to take up Littlejohn v. School Board of Leon County, Florida. At issue is the Leon County School Board’s “Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Gender Nonconforming and Questioning Support Guide,” which directs school staff to use a child’s chosen name and pronouns without parental knowledge or consent—and, in some cases, to conceal such information from parents.
The brief argues that this policy intrudes on parents’ right to direct the upbringing of their children, compels speech on a deeply contested issue, and imposes an unconstitutional orthodoxy in public schools. The Eleventh Circuit’s use of a vague “shocks-the-conscience” test effectively stripped parents of their ability to defend their rights, a dangerous precedent that endangers free speech, religious liberty, and the foundational role of the family.
“Parents do not surrender their God-given and constitutional rights at the schoolhouse door,” said Robert Tyler, President and Chief Counsel of Advocates for Faith & Freedom. “Schools cannot secretly facilitate a child’s gender transition while deceiving parents. The Constitution safeguards the right of mothers and fathers, not government bureaucrats, to guide their children’s upbringing.”
The brief underscores that compelled speech in schools—such as forcing students, teachers, and parents to use pronouns or affirm gender ideology against their beliefs—violates the First Amendment’s protection of conscience and free expression. As the filing warns, policies that mandate ideological conformity not only trample religious liberty but also attack the very dignity of those who disagree.
Julianne Fleischer, Senior Legal Counsel of Advocates for Faith and Freedom, added: “This case is about restoring common sense and reaffirming parental authority. No government entity has the right to replace parents or compel citizens to embrace a state-imposed ideology. The Court must act to defend the rights of parents and the freedoms of all Americans.”
Advocates for Faith & Freedom and NC Values Institute are standing together to ensure that the Supreme Court recognizes the urgency of protecting parental rights, free speech, and religious freedom against the rising tide of government overreach in education.
Full brief can be viewed here.
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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.