From its inception in 1989, Liberty Counsel has been committed to taking on cases that advance religious freedom, protect the sanctity of human life, and uphold the family. In the last three years alone, Liberty Counsel has won all seven of the U.S. Supreme Court cases we argued or briefed, including playing a major part in overturning Roe v. Wade, and ending the “Lemon Test” which had been used for 51 years to censor religious speech, symbols, and actions.

In 2023, Liberty Counsel continued its frontline legal battles — and victories. In fact, we’ve had so many victories this year that it will take three emails just to tell you! Read on to learn how YOUR GENEROUS SUPPORT advanced the cause of liberty and made these wins possible. — Mat

From opposing COVID vax mandates to overturning counseling bans and defending the right of after-school Bible clubs to meet, Liberty Counsel’s legal wins in 2023 are pushing back against an anti-religion, anti-freedom, anti-life agenda to uphold the free expression of religion and speech and the right to life in America as guaranteed constitutional rights.

Today, we’ll review our 2023 wins on behalf of religious accommodation and free speech.

COVID VAX MANDATE CASE WINS

This year started off with a bang. We won a historic, first-of-its-kind class action settlement against NorthShore University HealthSystem, a private employer that unlawfully denied approximately 500 health care employees their religious exemption requests to COVID-19 shots. As a result, NorthShore paid more than 10.3 million dollars to compensate these health care employees who were fired. Many have been rehired at their previous seniority level.

In May, the First Circuit Court of Appeals ruled unanimously in favor of our Maine health care workers who, after being denied religious accommodations, were wrongfully fired over not complying with Governor Janet Mills’ COVID shot mandate on health care workers. The court wrote that the district court erred in dismissing the First Amendment and Equal Protection claims. We will continue to litigate this case in the lower court.

Later, in October, after two years of litigation and 8,200 hours of legal time, the Pentagon paid out 1.8 million for attorney’s fees and costs for our work in defending military service members against Joe Biden’s unlawful shot mandate. While representing brave service members for being denied religious accommodations, we secured a class-wide injunction for the Marines and multiple restraining orders and injunctions for individual service members in multiple branches of the military.

Also in October, we helped exonerate a Michigan State University professor after he received allegations that he had used “unethical practices” during a published COVID-19 shot study. As a result of our assistance, Michigan State University’s Institutional Review Board cleared him of any wrongdoing, stating they did not find any “noncompliance” to their protocols within the study.

FREE SPEECH WINS

Free speech is the cornerstone of our constitutional freedoms, and 2023 was a year to ensure that it stays that way.

In May, we received notification that the City of Tampa in Florida had to pay 950,000 dollars after the Eleventh Circuit Court of Appeals ruled the city’s counseling ban that prevented licensed counselors from providing voluntary talk therapy to minors seeking help for unwanted same-sex attractions, behaviors, or identity was unconstitutional.

We filed an amicus brief at the U.S. Supreme Court in 303 Creative v. Elenis, where Denver-based website designer Lorie Smith was forced to create expressive designs against her religious beliefs and instead comply with state-accepted beliefs. On June 30, 2023, the Supreme Court ruled in favor of Smith, stating that the First Amendment bars Colorado’s Anti-Discrimination Act from forcing her to communicate messages with which she personally disagrees.

Also in June, we secured a win for Vergennes Union Middle School and High School in Vermont. The school district was trying to block a free after-school event featuring a former “trans” person, Walt Heyer, from discussing the dangers of gender ideology and sex education in public schools. After sending a demand letter to district officials, Heyer was able to speak at the event.

Freedom is worth fighting for and we will never stop fighting.

Your generous, tax-deductible year-end gift would be greatly appreciated. Every donation made today will be DOUBLED IN IMPACT by the Victory in 2023 Challenge Grant. But hurry! This special grant expires at MIDNIGHT, December 31!

And don’t miss my emails tomorrow and Monday, where we will discuss how Liberty Counsel has fought and won on behalf of religious freedom and the right to life.

God bless you for your prayers and support.

Mat Staver
Founder and Chairman
Liberty Counsel

TAKE ACTION

The LGBTQ army is working to eliminate religious freedom for ALL Americans via HR 15, which specifically eliminates religious accommodations — even for your pastor and your church! Please fax Congress today!

We need your help to defend religious liberty. Support our legal fund today and have YOUR IMPACT DOUBLED by a generous Challenge Grant.