How Hobby Lobby and Others are Taking a Stand for Religious Liberty

Yesterday, March 25, the Supreme Court heard oral arguments in two cases challenging the religious liberty issues at stake with the Affordable Care Act (AKA Obamacare): Sebelius v. Hobby Lobby Stores, Inc. andConestoga Wood Specialties Corp. v. Sebelius.           What are these important cases about?
Obamacare requires that businesses provide health care for their employees, and that health care must include coverage for all contraceptives, at no cost to the employees.

Hobby Lobby and Conestoga Wood Specialties have stated that they don’t have a problem covering most forms of birth control for their employees, but their religious beliefs do not support the use of emergency contraceptives meant for use after conception because they believe that the result of these emergency contraceptives is an abortion.

The question that these companies are presenting to the court is – do for-profit businesses have the right to exercise the religious beliefs of their owners in the workplace?   At issue in the Hobby Lobby case is whether a federal law passed in 1993 called the Religious Freedom Restoration Act protects Hobby Lobby from being forced to pay for emergency contraception.

At issue in the Conestoga case is whether the First Amendment to the United States Constitution protects the company from being forced to pay for emergency contraception.

Hobby Lobby and Conestoga Wood Specialties are joined by at least 45 other for-profit companies that have brought cases to trial regarding the contraception mandate of Obamacare.  In addition, there are separate cases right now that focus on the rights of religiously-affiliated organizations and the mandate.

It will likely be a few months before we hear a decision from the Supreme Court in these cases.  In the meantime,please pray for the companies as they continue to stand up for religious liberty.

Another Victory! Bible Accepted into Public School's Library

Dear Friend, Recently, Advocates for Faith & Freedom was contacted by Gary Nelson regarding his third grader, Victoria, who attends an elementary school in the Temecula Valley Unified School District. The family was disheartened a couple of years ago—when Victoria was in first grade—and was not allowed to donate a Bible to the school-sponsored book donation program. 

Because of the media attention received on the Brynn Williams case, in which Brynn was not allowed to finish her Christmas presentation because she tried to quote a Scripture, Mr. Nelson was moved to contact Advocates after realizing Victoria’s rights had been violated.

The elementary school offers a “Birthday Book Program” in which students may elect to celebrate their birthday by donating a book to the school library on their birthday. The donated book has the student’s name inserted on the front inside cover.  The school then formally recognizes the student at the Friday Flag Salute Assembly.  The student is called up in front of the entire school so that he or she can hold their book up and get a picture taken with their donated book.

On Victoria’s birthday, she brought her favorite book to school to donate…the Bible.  She handed the Bible over to her teacher and said, “John is my favorite book!”  The teacher smiled and accepted the book with a thank you.  A few days later, the teacher handed the book back to the student’s father, Gary Nelson, explaining, “The principal said students cannot donate the Bible. It cannot be in the library,” reported Mr. Nelson.  That Friday Mr. Nelson had to explain to his daughter that her book had been rejected by the school and that she could not be recognized at the assembly.  The family was upset because they felt that not only had the Bible been rejected, but so was the student.

Advocates’ attorneys wrote a detailed 9-page letter to the school district explaining that the Establishment Clause “mandates governmental neutrality” not only among different religions, but also “between religion and non-religion.” Here, the principal’s rejection of the Bible as a viable donation towards the school library was a message of disapproval towards religion. After our attorney met with Mr. Nelson and the school principal, the principal apologized and Victoria was finally recognized at the next assembly and was allowed to donate her favorite book, the Bible, to her school library.  

This case is yet another example of District employees lacking knowledge of First Amendment rights, as well as lack of proper policies and employee training.  Victoria had the right to give the school the Bible under the book donation program, the school had the right to receive it, and students now have a right to go to the library and read it.  We Praise the Lord for this victory!

We are grateful for the Williams family and their courage to stand up for Brynn’s rights!  Mr. Nelson commented that had it not been for the Williams’ coming forward, the Bible would not be in Victoria’s school today.   “I teach my children that Jesus does not hit singles and get on first base…He only hits home runs!” He went on to say, “Because TVUSD “pushed back” on the Williams case, it caught my attention in the media and this issue got resolved too!  All for His glory!”

Update on First Graders Brynn Williams and Isaiah Martinez

Brynn Williams tried to read John 3:16 during a Christmas presentation in her class but was stopped by her teacher before she could read the Scripture. Isaiah Martinez was told that “Jesus is not allowed in school” by his teacher and watched as his teacher tore off his Christmas message attached to the candy canes he  intended  to give to his classmates.   In both of  these  cases, we  filed  complaints with each of their school districts hoping to persuade the school boards to adopt policies that will educate and train school officials about the First  Amendment  liberties afforded  to students and to implement a policy that prohibits school officials from expressing religious hostility and intolerance toward religion. We are in the process of negotiating with each of the school districts. If the districts refuse to respect our demands, we will likely file federal lawsuits to compel each district’s compliance.

Will you stand with Advocates? Here’s how you can help:

• Pray with us, for our students, teachers, and administrators.
• Give a financial gift so that we can continue in this work.
• Let us know if you experience or hear about any hostility towards religion in the public schools.

We thank you for your faithfulness and your prayers as we press on in this mission!

In His Service, Robert Tyler General Counsel

On a Personal Note...

Maybe you noticed that our February newsletter didn’t come at the end of the month as usual.  Well, both Jen and I were very busy during the month of February.  Jen and Jordan Bursch were blessed with the birth of their first child, Harper Grace Bursch.  She was a real miracle in the making after beating the odds of some medical complications. Please  pray for God’s continued blessings on this beautiful and healthy gift of life.

Meanwhile, I spent time on my sixth mission trip to Hinche, Haiti, with my wife and three of our four children. We had another wonderful 

opportunity to support the local work of the Haiti Endowment Fund and its numerous churches and Christian schools in the outlying areas of Haiti’s Central Plateau. Religious liberty and Christian values appear to be well respected in Haiti. Though Haiti has a long history in Voodoo, Christianity  is now  welcomed throughout this poverty stricken  nation.

Update on the Brynn Williams Case

Last month, we told you about the case of Brynn Williams, who had prepared a short “Christmas tradition” speech to share with her first grade class. Before she was able to recite John 3:16 – and just 10 seconds from the end of her speech—she was stopped.  You can read the full case here. In response to recent statements made by employees of the Temecula Valley Unified School District, please click here to see additional documentation in support of Brynn’s and the Williams’ claims. This documentation has been submitted to the school board for their review and for a hearing on the matter. 

           We stand behind the statements of our clients. We believe the evidence and analysis of the facts contradicts statements made by both the principal and teacher (see Attachment 4 for an in-depth review of the facts).

Regardless of the specifics of the actual incident, we have always held that this is not about the principal or the teacher. Our claim is and always has been that the principal and teacher were enforcing practices and policies of the District as they were required to do. Those practices and policies have always been the focus of our efforts and we are requesting that the Temecula Valley Unified School District adopt a policy that protects the religious liberty of students and implements training for teachers and administrators. If you have any questions regarding the Williams' claim, please review our response here.

Teacher Tells First Grader: "You're Not Allowed to Talk About the Bible in School"

This past December, first grader Brynn Williams’ presentation of her family’s Star of Bethlehem was shut down because she’s “not allowed to talk about the Bible in school.”

Brynn’s incident at Temecula Valley Unified School District comes on the heels of a candy cane case involving West Covina Unified School District first grader Isaiah Martinez who was told, “Jesus is not allowed in school.” You can read the full story of that case here.

On Wednesday, December 18, 2013, Brynn Williams brought home a “share” bag as part of a school assignment.  Brynn’s teacher had given every child in her class a canvas bag with verbal instructions to find something at home that represents a family Christmas tradition, put it in the bag, bring it to school, and be prepared to share the family tradition.

Brynn took the Star of Bethlehem from the top of the family Christmas tree to represent her family’s tradition of remembering why Christmas is celebrated.  Brynn worked diligently on a one minute presentation in order to explain to the class that her family’s tradition is to remember the birth of Jesus at Christmas time.

On the day of presentations, Brynn began: “Our Christmas tradition is to put a star on top of our tree.  The star is named the Star of Bethlehem. The 3 kings followed the star to find baby Jesus, the Savior of the world. John…”

At that moment, Brynn’s teacher interrupted her and said, “Stop right there! Go take your seat!” Brynn was not allowed to finish her presentation by reciting the Bible verse, John 3:16.  In fact, Brynn was the only student not allowed to finish her one-minute presentation. After Brynn took her seat, the teacher explained to Brynn in front of all the other students that she was not allowed to talk about the Bible or share its verses.

Watch the NBC News video.

We sent a demand letter to the Temecula Valley Unified School District demanding that a new policy be adopted to prohibit school officials from expressing disapproval or hostility toward religion or toward religious viewpoints expressed by students. The letter also demands that TVUSD provide a written apology and allow Brynn the opportunity to complete her speech during class.

Attorney Nic Cocis serves as co-counsel in this case. Mr. Cocis experienced religious persecution as an elementary school student in communist Romania before his family immigrated to the United States. “The censorship of Christianity was something I came to expect in Romanian schools, not here in the United States,” said Mr. Cocis. “I don’t want my kids to experience what I experienced as a Christian in Romania.”

We've already received news coverage for this case, and here are a few of the links:

• NBC Southern California (with video)
• CBS LA
• The Blaze
• Christian Newswire
• Temecula Patch

Please pray with us as we interact with TVUSD on Brynn’s behalf.  We don’t want any other children to experience the hostility that Brynn has faced in school because of their faith!

Teacher to First Grader: "You're Not Allowed to Talk About the Bible in School"

Advocates for Faith & Freedom Press Release January 13, 2014

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact:  Lori Sanada (951) 500-7854, (888) 588-6888

Teacher to First Grader: You’re not allowed to talk about the Bible in school

Temecula, CA., First grader Brynn Williams' presentation of her family’s Star of Bethlehem was shut down because she’s “not allowed to talk about the Bible in school."

Brynn’s incident at Temecula Valley Unified School District comes on the heels of a candy cane case involving West Covina Unified School District first grader Isaiah Martinez who was told, "Jesus is not allowed in school.” A copy of that press release was sent out by Advocates for Faith & Freedom last week and may be found here.

 On Wednesday, December 18, 2013, Brynn Williams brought home a “share” bag as part of a school assignment.  Brynn’s teacher had given every child in her class a canvas bag with verbal instructions to find something at home that represents a family Christmas tradition, put it in the bag, bring it to school, and be prepared to share the family tradition.

Brynn took the Star of Bethlehem from the top of the family Christmas tree to represent her family’s tradition of remembering why Christmas is celebrated.  Brynn worked diligently on a one minute presentation in order to explain to the class that her family’s tradition is to remember the birth of Jesus at Christmas time.

Brynn began her presentation on December 19, 2014:

“Our Christmas tradition is to put a star on top of our tree.  The star is named the Star of Bethlehem. The 3 kings followed the star to find baby Jesus, the Savior of the world. John … [teacher interrupts Brynn].”

Brynn’s teacher said, “Stop right there! Go take your seat!” Brynn was not allowed to finish her presentation by reciting the Bible verse, John 3:16.  Brynn was the only student not allowed to finish her one-minute presentation. After Brynn took her seat, the teacher explained to Brynn in front of all the other students that she was not allowed to talk about the Bible or share its verses.

Robert Tyler, General Counsel for Advocates for Faith & Freedom said: “The disapproval and hostility that Christian students have come to experience in our nation's public schools has become epidemic. I hope that TVUSD will take the lead role in adopting a model policy to prohibit this abuse that has become all too common place for religious-minded students.”

Advocates for Faith & Freedom sent a demand letter to the Temecula Valley Unified School District demanding that a new policy be adopted to prohibit school officials from expressing disapproval or hostility toward religion or toward religious viewpoints expressed by students. The letter also demands that TVUSD provide a written apology and allow Brynn the opportunity to complete her speech during class.

A copy of the demand letter from Advocates for Faith & Freedom can be found here, which provides more depth to the facts and law as asserted by the Williams family.

Attorney Nic Cocis serves as co-counsel in this case. Mr. Cocis experienced religious persecution as an elementary school student in communist Romania before his family immigrated to the United States. "The censorship of Christianity was something I came to expect in Romanian schools, not here in the United States," said Mr. Cocis. “I don't want my kids to experience what I experienced as a Christian in Romania."

Advocates for Faith & Freedom is a nonprofit public interest law firm dedicated to protecting religious liberty in the courts. The website is www.faith-freedom.com.

Email info@faith-freedom.com to receive press releases from Advocates for Faith & Freedom. Also, join us on Facebook and Twitter to stay up-to-date on our progress in this case and others.

"Jesus Is Not Allowed In School" Case Gathers Major Media

This week, we told you about our new case, in which our young client, Isaiah Martinez, brought a gift for his classmates: Candy canes with a Christian message attached explaining the legend of the candy cane.  After conferring with the principal, his first grade teacher removed the Christian message from the candy canes and told him, “Jesus is not allowed in school.”  You can read the full story of this case here. This is an important case, and one that all parents, students, and teachers deserve to hear about.  The message is critical – our children should not be subjected to hostility from their public school teachers and administrators simply because they are Christians and desire to live out their faith in the place they spend a significant portion of their time…at school.

We are grateful that this case is being amplified by the media so that more families will be encouraged to stand for our religious liberty.  Here are a few of the media links:

• Fox News
• NBC LA (video and article)
• New York Daily News
• GOP USA
• KTLA TV (video and article)
• CBS TV (video and article)
• ABC TV (video and article)
• Los Angeles Daily News
• The Christian Post

          Please keep our clients and Advocates in your prayers as we continue to pursue this matter.  If you’re interested, you can read more about our cases and work within the public schools here.

Teacher to First Grader: "Jesus is not allowed in school"

On December 13, 2013, first grader Isaiah Martinez took Christmas gifts intended for his teacher and classmates at Merced Elementary in the West Covina Unified School District. Each gift consisted of a traditional candy cane with a message attached that recited the legend of the candy cane. The legend references a candy maker who created the candy cane to symbolize the life of Jesus Christ. Isaiah’s older sister told him about the legend of the candy cane and Isaiah asked if he could share it with his teacher and his classmates. Isaiah and his sister then purchased candy canes, printed the candy cane message and tied a copy to each candy cane.

When Isaiah brought his Christmas gift to school, his teacher took possession of the candy canes. After conferring with the school principal, the teacher told Isaiah that “Jesus is not allowed in school” and, at the apparent direction of her principal, ripped the candy cane message from each candy cane, threw the messages in the trash, and handed the candy canes back to Isaiah for delivery to his classmates. Isaiah then nervously handed the candy canes to his classmates in fear that he was in trouble for trying to bring a little Christmas cheer and “good tidings” to class.

We sent a demand letter to the West Covina Unified School District demanding a written apology and has demanded that a new policy be adopted to prohibit school officials from bullying and intimidating Christian students and religiously affiliated students.

A copy of the demand letter can be found here, which provides more depth to the facts as asserted by the Martinez family along with relevant legal arguments.

Robert Tyler, Advocates' General Counsel, said, “Advocates for Faith & Freedom has experienced a surge in phone calls from students and their parents across the country who are victims of religiously motivated bullying; not bullying by other students, but bullying by teachers and school officials.” He continued, “The pendulum has swung so far in the opposite direction that public schools are becoming a place of hostility toward Christian and other religiously-based worldviews.  It’s time to push the pendulum back in the right direction where kids can experience true tolerance without religiously motivated hostility from their teachers and school officials.”

Please join us on Facebook and Twitter to stay up-to-date on our progress in this case and others.

Last Chance to Help Us in 2013

Dear friend,

        A quick reminder that today is your LAST CHANCE to give a tax-deductible gift to Advocates for Faith & Freedom this year.

There’s still time to help us as we carry out this work to defend our First Amendment liberty to spread the Gospel of Jesus and to live out our faith in our daily lives.  We’ve taken on numerous new cases in the last few months; you can read about these important matters here.

Your gift can be made securely online at http://www.faith-freedom.com/donate/.  Or you may send a check postmarked by today to our office:

24910 Las Brisas Road, Suite 109 Murrieta, CA 92562

If every person on our email list gave just $25, we would make tremendous headway with our 2014 budget.  Please consider giving $25 or more today.

We know you receive a lot of requests at this time of year, and we thank God every day for you and your faithfulness to this ministry!

No "Justice" This Year?

We have had several people call our office and ask about our annual Justice Gala, a fundraising event typically held in October in Southern California.  This year, we decided not to hold the gala, for two main reasons: 1.  Organizing, staffing, and executing Justice is a large financial commitment each year, and

2.  Many times, the finances and resources we have available to carry out our core mission – defending the First Amendment right to spread the Gospel of Jesus Christ – are impacted.

          But, there’s still a BIG way you can help us financially…

This year, we decided to put a greater effort towards year-end fundraising to help support the flurry of new cases that have been coming into our office over the past few months.  You can read about these new cases here.

Normally, around 400 people attend our Justice Gala, at $150 per ticket.  If we can get that same commitment from you, our supporters, we will be able to put a full $60,000 towards our cases and our mission to defend religious liberty in the courts!  At this point, we are at about 10% of our fundraising goal.

          Are you able to give a tax-deductible gift of $150 before the end of the year?  If so, please visit this page to find out how you can donate online, by mail, or by phone.

We appreciate each and every one of you – thank you and God Bless!

Help Advocates Fight for Christmas!

Will you help us preserve the real meaning behind Christmas?           We are looking for cases where people have been denied the right to celebrate the true meaning behind Christmas because of the ever present hostility directed at Christianity!  Here are some examples of the hostility we’re talking about:

• One South Carolina charter school canceled its annual Operation Christmas Child toy drive, since The American Humanist Association threatened them with a lawsuit.  The group claimed that the school’s actions violated the Constitution, since Operation Christmas Child is a project of the Christian relief agency Samaritan’s Purse.
• A neighborhood in Orange County, in which several homes put up elaborate lights and decorations for the benefit of the community were told they needed to take down some of the lights because they are a violation of City ordinances.  They were confused, since they had done this for the last 5 years without any city interference.
• One Wisconsin school district told music educators that, for holiday programs, they had to either: 1) Include 5 non-religious holiday songs for each religious one; 2) Hold a music program with no holiday music at all; or 3) Cancel the concerts.

          If you have heard of a situation like one of these, or experienced it yourself, please contact our office so our lawyers can intervene.

We want to make sure that parents, students, teachers, governmental agencies, property owners and businesses owners don’t cower to the threat of the so-called “separation of church and state.” That phrase is not in our Constitution and does not require us to remove all semblance of Christ from this season celebrating His birth!

God bless you and Merry Christmas!