Nashville First Grade Teacher Will Keep His Job
After School Threatened to Fire Him
We secured a victory for our client Eric Rivera, a first-grade teacher at Antioch College Prep Elementary School who was facing termination over his faith.
The school cleared Eric’s record after previously issuing a “final warning letter” and removing him from the classroom after he declined to read materials promoting same-sex marriage. Eric had asked a colleague to read the material as an accommodation of his religious beliefs.
The school also agreed to accommodate all teachers and allow them to “ask another employee to read materials objectionable to their faith.”
“We are pleased that the school has made the right decision by accommodating Mr. Rivera for his deeply held religious views,” said Cliff Martin, Senior Counsel at First Liberty. “Our client is deeply devoted to teaching and is grateful that his record has been cleared and reasonable accommodations will be provided going forward.”
Christian Advocate Can Freely Share
Pro-Life Message Outside of Abortion Center
Good news for our client Zachary Hebb!
We reached a settlement with the City of Asheville, North Carolina that will allow him to share his pro-life message outside the city’s abortion center.
The city enforced a noise ordinance to bar Zachary and others from communicating life-affirming beliefs. The city agreed to amend the ordinance, meaning Zachary can use an amplifier to speak conversationally and still be heard by those walking in and around the center.
“We are thrilled Mr. Hebb will now have the opportunity to effectively and winsomely share his message,” said First Liberty Senior Counsel Nate Kellum. “It is paramount, now more than ever, that we protect the right of each American to freely express their faith and beliefs in the public square.”
People of faith should not be silenced simply because they express a message the government does not like. That’s why this is such a tremendous victory for Zachary and all residents in Asheville. It ensures that everyone—religious or not—can share their beliefs without censorship.
Pastor Chris Avell Needs Your Continued Support
Pastor Chris Avell of Dad’s Place Church is still facing criminal charges. His alleged crime? Ministering to the community of Bryan, Ohio 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
No matter the time of day, Pastor Chris wants to keep the doors of his church open for those in need. But city officials are blocking him from helping the vulnerable. He has been hit with nearly two dozen criminal charges.
We’ve secured some important wins in this case. But this legal battle isn’t over. We’re still fighting in both civil and criminal courts to ensure Pastor Chris doesn’t go to jail and can keep serving his community.
Can Pastor Chris and the people of Dad’s Place count on you? Your gift today can help our legal team secure a victory that will protect this church from the city’s constant attacks. Please give to First Liberty today.
Faithful Carrier Precedent is Delivering
Huge Wins in Religious Discrimination Cases
THIS WEEK ON FIRST LIBERTY LIVE!: A conversation with Senior Counsel Cliff Martin on the ripple effect of our U.S. Supreme Court victory in our Faithful Carrier case, Groff v. DeJoy.
Cliff dives into the ongoing legal battles for religious freedom in the workplace—and how the Groff decision is leading to major victories for religious Americans fighting for their rights in the workplace.
You’ll hear how the Groff precedent helped Dusti Howell—a former professor at Emporia University in Kansas—secure a settlement in his employment discrimination case.
Watch below:
Leading The Conversation | First Liberty in the News
Video: Teacher Threatened with Termination for Refusing to Read Woke Books to Student – Senior Counsel Cliff Martin on Washington Watch
Commentary: The Enlightenment: An Idea and Its History, by J.C.D. Clark – Judicial Researcher & Research Associate Logan Tantibanchaichai in the Journal of Religion, Culture & Democracy
California Mom Who Lost Daughter to Suicide Over Gender Issues
Urges Supreme Court to Protect Parental Rights
by Jorge Gomez, Director of Content Strategy
We recently submitted a brief urging the U.S. Supreme Court to hear International Partners for Ethical Care, Inc. v. Ferguson, a major case impacting parental rights and religious liberty.
The case involves a challenge to a Washington state law that strips parents of their right to decide what is best for their child. In 2023, the state enacted laws facilitating runaway minors’ access to “gender affirming treatment” without parental notice or consent.
A group of parents who do not wish to expose their children to such treatment challenged these laws on multiple grounds, including infringement of parental rights.
The 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals wrongly held that parents can’t even bring a legal challenge to a state law that violates their parental rights – until it’s too late, when their child actually runs away from home or tries to undergo irreversible surgery.
Our brief recounts the tragic story of Abigail Martinez, a Christian mom in California who lost custody of her teenager, Yaeli. The state took issue with Abigail’s religious beliefs about sexuality.
Abigail’s story began in 2015, when, at 15, Yaeli began to question her sexuality. She struggled with intense depression for years, and an older transgender friend told her the only way to be happy was to change genders. School staff encouraged her to covertly join the LGBTQ club and hide it from her mom. The school psychologist recommended a gender transition, rather than treatment for her depression.
When Abigail tried to advocate for Yaeli to receive mental health treatment from the school, the school staff rebuffed her. After Yaeli was hospitalized for an attempted suicide, her former principal visited her in the hospital—only to attack her mom, saying, “Is it too hard for you to call your child a new name?”
In 2016, the state took Yaeli away from her home. Abigail was only allowed to visit her child once a week for an hour. Activists from the Los Angeles LGBT Center told Abigail she should “have a funeral for your daughter and adopt your son,” and that if she talked about God during her allotted hour, she would never see her daughter.
By age 19, Yaeli’s depression had not been solved by the attempt at transition. Her pain was too deep, and hormone treatments made it worse. Yaeli eventually committed suicide by kneeling on a train track. The coroner’s office could not even show Abigail what remained of her daughter.
Abigail and Yaeli’s story is gut-wrenching. The government’s imposition into Yaeli’s life against the wishes of her mother denied Abigail the opportunity to treat her daughter’s mental health and likely save her life.
It’s unconscionable for a state to tell parents what to believe and how to raise their children. It’s also unconstitutional. “The Constitution is clear: States cannot target parents because of their religious beliefs, interfere with the religious upbringing of their children, or impose prior restraints on speech in their own homes,” our brief states.
“Our children are not children of the State,’” said First Liberty President & CEO Kelly Shackelford. “When governments usurp the essential role of loving parents in the lives of their children, tragedy ensues.”
Through First Liberty’s brief, Abigail shares her family’s tragic story in hopes that other families will not experience similar heartache from harmful state policies. We hope the Supreme Court agrees to hear this case and protects the right of parents to exercise their religious beliefs freely.
Editors’ Picks | Stories Around the Nation
Supreme Court blocks California Ban on Notifying Students’ Parents About Gender Transitions – Fox News
School Choice Is About Religious Liberty, Not Just Better Test Scores – Heritage Foundation
DOJ Charges 30 More People In Minnesota Church Protest: Bondi – The Hill
Rebranded DEI Offices Won’t Ensure Religious Liberty – Washington Examiner
‘God’s In Control’: US Men’s Hockey Stars Exemplified Faith On Path to Gold in Milan – The Christian Post
Ideological Battles Erupt in Classrooms from Texas to Tennessee – Washington Stand
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