Christian Punished for Objecting to County “Government-Mandated Trans” Policy

Liberty Counsel steps in to defend religious freedom and parental rights.

Yet another plea for legal help has hit my desk regarding discrimination against Christians who refuse to accept and promote government-mandated "Gender-Affirming Care” child-mutilating procedures. These procedures are designed to shuffle kids into irreversible chemical and surgical procedures without the knowledge or consent of parents. 

In addition to ushering kids down this one-way road to hell, many places, like Oregon where this case occurred, also BAN the one treatment shown to heal gender dysphoria — Christian change counseling. Christians who object are punished, demoted and/or fired, and risk losing their professional license and even their own children.

Such is the case with our latest client, Toneisha.* Her employment discrimination case also touches on several other cases where we are battling government-mandated LGBTQ policies.

Help us defend Christian counselors, parents, and patients by supporting our legal fund today. Every donation made today will be DOUBLED in impact by a special Challenge Grant.

Toneisha is a licensed clinical social worker who specializes in pediatric care and who also happens to be a devoted Christian. Unfortunately, she lives and works in a state that has a massive anti-Christian, anti-parental-rights agenda fueled by LGBTQ ideologues.

Toneisha’s faith wasn’t a problem until the county began drawing up mandatory “gender-affirming care” policies for minor children. As a team leader, Toneisha was required to participate in the meetings to develop these new policies.

When county officials began insisting that “gender-affirming care” be the ONLY course of action county social workers could follow, Toneisha’s faith prevented her from agreeing with the county’s intended directive.

Worse yet, other county officials also decided that these pro-child sex-change procedures be implemented without parental knowledge.

Toneisha objected. She noted that the county’s policy directly infringed on not only her own rights as a Christian, but the county policy also destroyed the religious freedom right of Christian parents to raise their children in accordance with their religious beliefs.

What Toneisha got in return was a formal condemnation from her supervisors. She was told that if she raised any further concerns over her own or any parent’s religious freedom rights, she would be demoted and professionally disciplined — effectively ending her career protecting Oregon children.

These county mandates came in addition to the State of Oregon’s existing ban on Christian change counseling. Oregon was the third state in the nation to censor Christian counselors’ speech by dictating that counselors could not offer a Bible-based alternative to “gender-affirming care” theories.

This fall, in the case Chiles v. Salazar, the U.S. Supreme Court will decide whether states can ban Christian change counseling. Liberty Counsel has already overturned Christian counseling bans in 23 cities in three states. But 87 bans remain on the books. We are preparing our brief for this latest case before the High Court.

But regardless of the Court’s forthcoming opinion on Chiles, teachers, counselors, social workers, parents, and patients are having their religious freedom and speech rights robbed by LGBTQ promoters.

In many ways, each of these issues arises from one singular issue — one Liberty Counsel has already won before the U.S. Supreme Court, and that is viewpoint discrimination. 

By enforcing LGBTQ demands while silencing and banning Christian concerns, actions, and speech; these cities and states are enforcing the LGBTQ viewpoint while silencing the Christian viewpoint. As our 9-0 U.S. Supreme Court victory in Shurtleff v. City of Boston demonstrated, such viewpoint discrimination is illegal.

However, the pro-LGBTQ enforcement crowd keeps trying to violate this principle, and therefore, the need to defend Christians like Toneisha in court, continues.

YOU can help us defend Christians like Toneisha from discrimination at work while also helping us overturn the unlawful bans on Christian counseling.

We never charge our clients as few could afford to fight the government on their own. Instead, our clients, like Toneisha, rely on YOU, the faithful Liberty Counsel supporter to ensure that ALL Americans retain their right to religious liberty — even in the face of the LGBTQ. Give now to help is WIN BACK religious freedom rights!

Meanwhile, in Congress... 

The LGBTQ crowd is pushing legislation that would replace Christian rights with LGBTQ demands. The Equality Act of 2025 eliminates federal religious freedom laws, and specifically denigrates Christian change counseling. The entire bill seeks to sacrifice Christian rights — including parental rights — on the LGBTQ’s sacrificial altar.

Nearly HALF of Congress has signed on to co-sponsor this religious freedom, parental rights killing, LGBTQ ideals-forcing bill! Please, fax Congress now to demand they VOTE NO on the Equality Act of 2025!