{"id":7804,"date":"2024-02-01T08:51:45","date_gmt":"2024-02-01T03:21:45","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/cccfornews.com\/index.php\/2024\/02\/01\/california-to-pay-200000-to-settle-gender-lawsuit-from-christian-preschool\/"},"modified":"2024-02-01T08:51:45","modified_gmt":"2024-02-01T03:21:45","slug":"california-to-pay-200000-to-settle-gender-lawsuit-from-christian-preschool","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/cccfornews.com\/index.php\/2024\/02\/01\/california-to-pay-200000-to-settle-gender-lawsuit-from-christian-preschool\/","title":{"rendered":"California to Pay $200,000 to Settle Gender Lawsuit from Christian Preschool"},"content":{"rendered":"


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The state of California has agreed to pay a Christian preschool and its attorneys some $200,000 as part of a settlement to a lawsuit that began when the state tried to force the school to change its biblical beliefs on gender and sexuality.\u00a0<\/p>\n

The controversy began when the California Department of Social Services, citing new federal and state rules, told The Church of Compassion in El Cajon, Calif., that its preschool, Dayspring Learning Center, could only participate in the government-assisted food program if it agreed with a nondiscrimination policy that includes \u201csexual orientation\u201d and \u201cgender identity.\u201d The state even told the church it must stop \u201crequiring Church employees to sign or abide by\u201d a handbook that includes a statement of faith and affirms biblical teaching on gender and sexuality, according to court documents.<\/p>\n

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Dayspring filed suit, alleging violations of the U.S. Constitution\u2019s Free Exercise, Free Speech, Free Association and Establishment Clauses. The suit also claimed the state was violating the Religious Freedom Restoration Act and Administrative Procedure Act.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhile the Church and Preschool serve all families, they will not teach or promote all messages,\u201d the suit<\/a> said.<\/p>\n

Following the lawsuit, the state agreed to settle. As part of the settlement, the state will reimburse the school $30,478.96 for the cost of meals between Feb. 1, 2023 and Sept. 30, 2023. The state also agreed to pay $160,000 in attorneys\u2019 fees and costs. The school was represented by Alliance Defending Freedom, the National Center for Law & Policy and Advocates For Faith & Freedom.<\/p>\n

ADF senior counsel Jeremiah Galus applauded the settlement.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe government can\u2019t withhold food from families in need simply because their children attend a Christian preschool,\u201d Galus said. \u201cThe Constitution protects the right of Church of Compassion and its preschool to operate according to the dictates of their faith. In the name of combatting discrimination, government officials excluded the church and preschool from serving the El Cajon community based solely on their religious beliefs and exercise. While it shouldn\u2019t have taken a lawsuit to resolve this, at least now Church of Compassion can continue its vital outreach to needy children and families.\u201d<\/p>\n

The suit said the church and its school \u201chave been consistently, humbly, and compassionately loving their neighbors by identifying and meeting the needs of their community for more than two decades.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cDefendants demand that the Church and Preschool agree to fully comply with new \u2018sexual orientation\u2019 and \u2018gender identity\u2019 nondiscrimination provisions, including in their religious employment practices (\u2018SOGI Rules\u2019), or forfeit the right to receive generally available public funds used to feed needy children, including immigrants, in their community,\u201d the suit said. \u201c… The government does not have the authority to force religious institutions to compromise their deeply and sincerely held religious beliefs and practices about human sexuality, capitulate to the new SOGI Rules, or pressure religious groups and people to assimilate to conflicting sexual philosophies.\u201d<\/p>\n

The church\u2019s beliefs on gender and sexuality, the suit said, were \u201cuncontroversial for more than 2,000 years and continue to be held by most major world religions.\u201d<\/p>\n

Image credit: \u00a9Getty Images\/Matthew Starling<\/em><\/p>\n\n

Michael Foust has covered the intersection of faith and news for 20 years. His stories have appeared in Baptist Press,\u00a0<\/em>Christianity Today<\/em>, <\/em>The Christian Po<\/em>st, <\/em>the\u00a0<\/em>Leaf-Chronicle<\/em>,\u00a0<\/em>the Toronto Star<\/em> and\u00a0<\/em>the Knoxville News-Sentinel<\/em>.<\/p>\n

LISTEN: How A Man Born by Artificial Insemination with Two Moms Became a Christian and Is Changing California<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

In today\u2019s episode of The Becket Cook Show<\/strong><\/a>, Becket chats with Ross Johnston. Ross was born by artificial insemination and grew up in a lesbian household with two moms. At 15 years old he was invited to church where he encountered the Holy Spirit and the presence of God for the first time in his life. He then surrendered his life to Jesus and became born again during that time.<\/p>\n

Ross is a revivalist who is a leader and co-founder of California Will Be Saved. He is also one who is on the frontlines in leading revival in California as well as on a mission to unite the body of Christ. California Will Be Saved is a movement that hosts mass corporate gatherings outdoors in major cities of influence across California with live worship, the proclamation of the gospel and baptisms.<\/p>\n