Christian ministries get settlement in Virginia religious freedom suit

In a religious freedom victory, two Virginia churches, three Christian schools and a pregnancy center network have received a settlement in a lawsuit against the Commonwealth of Virginia.

Alliance Defending Freedom (ADF), the Christian legal powerhouse behind landmark cases such as Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization, represented the Christian organizations in Calvary Road Baptist Church v. Miyares.

“Religious organizations are free to operate their ministries without fear of government punishment, and Virginia’s law protects that foundational right,” stated Kevin Theriot, ADF senior counsel, regarding the case.

“Our clients are motivated by their faith to offer spiritual guidance, education, pregnancy support, and athletic opportunities to their communities. The commonwealth must respect their right—just like anyone else’s—to continue operating by their own internal policies and codes of conduct about life, marriage, and sexuality.”

The lawsuit centered on challenging a 2020 law, the Virginia Values Act, which designated sexual orientation and gender identity as classes protected from discrimination. This law was interpreted to mean that religious organizations could not exclude a candidate from the hiring process because of their lifestyle, even if it opposed the religious beliefs of the organization.  

Under a companion law, violators could also face fines of up to $100,000 for discriminating based on gender identity, for example, by refusing to include medical expenses such as genital mutilation surgeries, puberty blockers or cross-sex hormones in employee insurance plans. The law also prohibited religious organizations from hosting Bible studies or youth activities separated by sex. 

In the settlement, Virginia officials agreed that religious organizations are protected by law from being forced to violate their faith. The plaintiffs in the case, and other religious groups in the  

Commonwealth, are free to exclusively hire staff who share the values of the employer – including beliefs on topics such as abortion, marriage, sexuality and gender. 

This case is not the first successful challenge to the Virginia Values Act that ADF has achieved. In 2023, the legal group settled Updegrove v. Miyares on behalf of a Christian wedding photographer who refused to photograph same-sex weddings.  

The 2023 Supreme Court ruling in 303 Creative v. Elenis, also argued by ADF, formed the basis for the case against Virginia by re-affirming that the government cannot compel artists to express messages inconsistent with their personal beliefs.