In a recent settlement agreement, Virginia authorities have conceded not to compel Christian ministries to act against their religious convictions.
The Alliance Defending Freedom (ADF), a Christian legal organization, revealed the settlement of its 2020 lawsuit against the state. The suit was filed on behalf of two churches, three Christian schools, and a pro-life pregnancy center network, which were opposing certain provisions in a state anti-discrimination law.
The case, Calvary Road Baptist Church v. Miyares, saw the ADF arguing that Virginia was infringing on its clients' "statutory and constitutional rights." This was due to amendments made in 2020 to the existing anti-discrimination law, where sexual orientation and gender identity were included as protected classes under the Virginia Values Act. The Act was signed into law by former Democratic Governor Ralph Northam.
The ADF contended that the law "forced nonprofit ministries to abandon their core convictions in hiring and other policies or face fines up to $100,000 for each violation." The organization also stated that a related law necessitated the ministries to include in their employee health care plans coverage for sex reassignment and gender affirming surgeries, which contradicted their beliefs. The law also banned the ministries from conducting sex-specific Bible studies and youth activities.
Republican Virginia Attorney General Jason Miyares concurred that the plaintiffs in the case, including Calvary Road Baptist Church, Community Fellowship Church, Community Christian Academy, and Care Net, were private religious institutions. As such, they are "not subject to the regulation of places of public accommodation" under state law.
As part of the settlement, the state agreed not to "require Plaintiffs to employ individuals who do not profess and live according to religious beliefs held by Plaintiffs." The state also pledged not to compel the plaintiffs to offer "insurance plans, gender-transition treatments or proceduresthat violate the religious beliefs of Plaintiffs."
ADF Senior Counsel Kevin Theriot emphasized that the state must persist in safeguarding religious freedom without "fear of government punishment." He stated, "Religious organizations are free to operate their ministries without fear of government punishment, and Virginias law protects that foundational right." He added that the clients are driven by their faith to provide spiritual guidance, education, pregnancy support, and athletic opportunities to their communities, and their right to operate according to their internal policies and codes of conduct must be respected.
The ADF attorneys submitted a request to dismiss the case with the Loudoun County Circuit Court last Friday.
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