Press Releases

President Trump Recognizes Two First Liberty Clients at Religious Liberty Commission 

Press Release
For Immediate Release: 9.8.25
Contact: John Manning, media@firstliberty.org
Direct: 972-941-4453

President Trump Recognizes Two First Liberty Clients at Religious Liberty Commission
Recommendations will be presented to the Commission after hearing the wide range of threats to the religious liberty rights of Americans in public education.

Washington, D.C.—Today, First Liberty Institute Senior Counsel Jeremy Dys and several First Liberty clients testified at a meeting before the President’s Religious Liberty Commission. All client testimonies described past and current suppression of religious liberty rights guaranteed in the First Amendment.

President Trump attended the meeting showing his support for religious liberty in America and said, “To have a great nation, you have to have religion.” He recognized former First Liberty client Hannah Allen who was told she could not pray in the school lunchroom and then invited First Liberty client Shea Encinas to share his story when, as a fifth grade student, he was forced to read the book My Shadow is Pink with his kindergarten buddy—a book about gender ideology that conflicted with his deeply held religious beliefs.

Shea Encinas at Religious Liberty Commission

“The Supreme Court has stated clearly that students do not give up their First Amendment rights at the schoolhouse gate. Government and school officials violating the religious freedoms of children is inexcusable,” noted Kelly Shackelford, President, CEO and Chief Counsel at First Liberty Institute and member of the President’s Religious Liberty Commission. “The testimonies at today’s meeting highlight the need to make sure these violations don’t continue against other children and the urgency of ensuring the religious freedoms of our students- now and into the future.”

“As heard in the testimonies from current and former clients, religious liberty is currently under attack from those who ignore the protections guaranteed in the First Amendment,” said Jeremy Dys, Senior Counsel at First Liberty Institute who spoke today as an expert witness. “We trust that the recommendations made today will reach judges and elected officials who are sworn to uphold and protect the U.S. Constitution.”

The Committee today highlighted the importance of religious liberty protections in education as heard from current and former students and parents who have been denied the free exercise of their religious rights at public schools:

• Shea Encinas, as a fifth grade student, was forced to participate in an activity with his kindergarten buddy involving the book, “My Shadow is Pink,” conflicting with his and his family’s religious beliefs.
• Hannah Allen, as a middle school student in Honey Grove, TX, was told that she and her friends could not pray in the lunchroom and would have to “move behind a curtain or meet alone outside.”
• Valerie Cleveringa described how she and her brother were told they couldn’t perform Christian songs at the school talent show because the songs were too religious.
• Jenny Encinas, one of several parents testifying, relayed her experience of being denied an opt-out and harassed because of her faith after her son was forced to participate in a gender ideology activity that conflicted with her family’s deeply held religious beliefs.

In his testimony to the Commission, Dys described how other students were censored from mentioning God in graduation speeches, reading their Bibles during free time, referencing John 3:16 in a school project, and forming religious clubs. He urged the Commission to hold school districts accountable to respect students of faith.

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About First Liberty Institute 
First Liberty Institute is the largest legal organization in the nation dedicated exclusively to defending religious freedom for all Americans.
To arrange an interview, contact John Manning at media@firstliberty.org or by calling 972-941-4453.