American Humanists React to SCOTUS Decision on Conversion Therapy

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
March 31, 2026

Contact: Court Beyer, cbeyer@americanhumanist.org

WASHINGTON – The following is a statement from American Humanist Association Executive Director Fish Stark in response to the U.S. Supreme Court’s majority decision to reject Colorado’s law banning conversion therapy for LGBTQ+ minors:

“The Court’s decision is completely divorced from reality. The documented psychological consequences of conversion therapy are severe. Words exchanged in the context of a psychological relationship land with the weight of professional authority – and this is especially true for patients who are minors. Telling a gay teenager that their identity is something to be ‘fixed’ is not a neutral opinion – it is harmful pseudoscience.”

Amitai Heller, Legal Director at the American Humanist Association, added the following:

“Today’s decision sacrifices the health and well being of children on the altar of religious bigotry and homophobia in the medical profession. We must acknowledge that children are independent human beings with rights of their own. At a minimum, this must include the right to evidence-based, compassionate care without the imposition of a provider’s religious or bigoted viewpoint.”

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The American Humanist Association (AHA) works to protect the rights of humanists, atheists, and other nontheistic Americans. The AHA advances the ethical and life-affirming worldview of humanism, which—without beliefs in gods or other supernatural forces—encourages individuals to live informed and meaningful lives that aspire to the greater good of humanity.

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FFRF and Coalition Seeks to Block Religious Public Charter School Wilberforce Academy

The Wilberforce Academy of Knoxville Tennessee is attempting to run a religious public charter school funded by taxpayers that would provide an “explicitly biblical and Christian education.” The school filed the lawsuit The Wilberforce Academy of Knoxville v. Knox County Board of Education in order to force the Board of Education to fund their religious school.

On January 27, 2026, FFRF and a coalition filed a motion to intervene as an interested party in this case. This was on behalf of Knox County taxpayers who are all parents of current or former Knox County public school students. The court determined that these taxpayers had a legal right to participate in the lawsuit.

The intervenors, including two faith leaders, intervened in a lawsuit on the side of the defendants, the Knox County Board of Education and its members. They oppose a public charter school that will indoctrinate students into one religion. Additionally, they want to ensure that public schools remain secular and open to all. 

This lawsuit was filed in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Tennessee. The intervenors are represented by the ACLU, the ACLU of Tennessee, Americans United for Separation of Church and State, The Education Law Center, Morrison Foerster, the Southern Poverty Law Center, and FFRF. Senior Litigation Counsel Sam Grover and Legal Fellow Kyle J. Steinberg are serving as attorneys for the proposed intervenors. 

• Motion to Intervene
  • Press Release
• Order Granting Intervention 
  • Press Release

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Would you like to be a judge in FFRF’s 2026 student essay contests? Here’s how!

Photo by Aaron Burden on Unsplash

The Freedom From Religion Foundation is seeking volunteers to help judge this year’s FFRF essay scholarship contests.

FFRF proudly hosts five student essay competitions a year — four of which are judged by volunteer FFRF members and staff. We are looking for judges who have experience that make them particularly suited to assessing student essays.

Do you have a special background and interest in encouraging freethinking students? Do you enjoy reading the winning essays in issues of Freethought Today? This background can include degrees in English or writing, being a teacher (or retired teacher), writing instructor or tutor, etc. — or just other life experiences and freethought activism. For the graduate competition, it can be helpful, although it’s not a prerequisite, to have judges with advanced degrees or who have taught at the college level.

Required: Being able to read and score essays online (remotely). Judging takes place in the summer. You can indicate which competition(s) you are most interested in helping to judge. Volunteer judges will be identified and thanked by name in Freethought Today and in FFRF’s Year in Review.

Each competition typically hands out about $16,000 in total prizes, with 10 awards ranging from $3,500 for first place to $300 for 10th place, and additional $200 honorable mentions at FFRF’s discretion.

You may contact Lisa Treu with any questions at ltreu@ffrf.org. To apply: ffrf.us/essayjudge

“FFRF is honored to continue paying forward the generosity of our donors by rewarding the dedication coming from the next generation of freethinkers,” FFRF Co-President Annie Laurie Gaylor says. “If you’re as passionate as we are to elevate the voices of talented students, please consider being a judge for one or more of our essay contests!”

The Freedom From Religion Foundation is a U.S.-based nonprofit dedicated to defending the constitutional principle of separation between state and church and educating the public on matters relating to nontheism. With more than 41,000 members, FFRF is the largest association of freethinkers (atheists, agnostics and humanists) in North America. For more information, visit ffrf.org.

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Freethought TV launches on Apple TV and iPhone, reaching millions of new viewers

Freethought TV, the Freedom From Religion Foundation’s free secular streaming channel, is now available to more than 150 million iPhone users and 30 million Apple TV owners across the United States. The highly anticipated debut on Apple’s platforms marks a major milestone for Freethought TV, which proudly offers “Free content for free minds.”

“Every time we’ve announced a new platform that carries Freethought TV, the response has often been, ‘Yeah, but when’s it going to be available on Apple?’” says Dan Barker, co-president of FFRF. “Well, that day is finally here — and we couldn’t be more excited. This expansion means our programming, which upholds the separation of religion and government while celebrating freethinkers, can now reach nearly everyone.”

Designed for smart TVs, streaming devices and mobile platforms, Freethought TV delivers a robust lineup of original and archival programming. New series include “Secular Spotlight” and “Freethought Radio In Studio,” alongside full seasons of flagship shows such as “Freethought Matters” and “Ask an Atheist.” The platform also features speeches from FFRF national conventions, showcasing prominent celebrities, authors and activists, as well as musical performances and seasonal specials.

In a major content expansion, FFRF has recently migrated its entire archive of more than 600 videos to Freethought TV, creating a comprehensive hub for secular media and commentary.

Looking ahead, FFRF plans to offer live coverage of key events, including the Congressional Reason Reception — widely recognized as the freethought community’s counterweight to the National Prayer Breakfast.

The Freethought TV app is easy to install and includes user-friendly features such as closed captioning and customizable watchlists. For more information or to download the app, visit: freethoughttv.ffrf.org/

The Freedom From Religion Foundation is a U.S.-based nonprofit dedicated to defending the constitutional principle of separation between state and church and educating the public on matters relating to nontheism. With about 42,000 members, FFRF is the largest association of freethinkers (atheists, agnostics and humanists) in North America. For more information, visit ffrf.org.

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FFRF stops Minn. school bus driver from distributing religious messages to students

The Freedom From Religion Foundation has ensured that contracted bus drivers in Minnesota’s Milaca Public Schools system will no longer hand out to students religious messages attached to candy canes.

A concerned parent of a Milaca Elementary School student reported that on Dec. 22, 2025, their child’s school bus driver gave students “WWJD” (What Would Jesus Do) bracelets and a piece of paper with a candy cane tied to it. The paper had a religious message, with the candy cane making the letter “J”:
Jesus is my Savior who gave his life for me. Because of Him each of us can ever more be free. Jesus is the greatest gift the world has ever seen. So I’ll talk of Him at Christmas time, and all the days in between.

The parent expressed their frustration to FFRF about school bus drivers passing out religious messages and bracelets to students, because they are not raising their children to believe in religion. The parent was upset that “their kids might be treated poorly because they do not have the same religious beliefs as others.” 

FFRF was ready to fight on behalf of the nonreligious family to keep divisive religion out of our public school system. 

“In this case, the district violated parents’ trust by allowing a school bus driver to distribute religious messages and bracelets to students while acting in their official role as a school employee,” FFRF Staff Attorney Sammi Lawrence wrote to Superintendent Dave Wedin. “This not only violates students’ First Amendment rights, it violates parents’ constitutional rights to direct their children’s religious or nonreligious upbringing.” 

The distribution of “WWJD” bracelets and a message saying “Jesus is my savior” gave the impression that the district favored religion over nonreligion and Christianity over all other faiths. Furthermore, religious distributions in school settings, including on the school bus, coercively encourage students to take, read and reflect upon the religious message. Students (such as the child of the parent who approached FFRF) who see other students taking the religious items at the encouragement of an authority figure will no doubt feel pressured to take the items to conform. This needlessly marginalizes students who do not believe in Christianity, including members of minority faiths and those who are nonreligious. As much as 38 percent of the American population is non-Christian, including the 29 percent of Minnesotans who are religiously unaffiliated and another 7 percent who belong to non-Christian faiths. Additionally, more than half of Generation Z (those born after 1996) is non-Christian, including 43 percent who are nonreligious. 

Due to FFRF’s intervention, the district has thankfully worked to correct the issue.

An email from Superintendent Wedin reported that the district had conducted an internal investigation to prevent further incidents.

“By working [with the contracted bus company], we were able to identify the individual involved,” Wedin wrote. “The company has addressed the matter appropriately with the driver to prevent any future occurrences.” Wedin also reported a proactive effort of speaking with other contracted transportation providers to reiterate the district’s secular expectations.

FFRF is pleased to resolve another state/church violation, making certain that public school students of all religions and no religions feel equally welcome.

“FFRF knows that students’ rights must be protected year-round; children cannot have religion forced onto them just because of a particular annual observance,” says FFRF Co-President Annie Laurie Gaylor. “Religion in public schools creates walls between children and emphasizes differences. Religious indoctrination is a matter that must be left to personal conscience and parental guidance.” 

The Freedom From Religion Foundation is a national nonprofit organization with over 41,000 members and several chapters across the country, including more than 800 members and two chapters in Minnesota. Our purposes are to protect the constitutional principle of separation between state and church, and to educate the public on matters relating to nontheism.

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FFRF slams Texas Lt. Gov. Patrick’s ‘religious liberty’ committee 

Texas Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick’s newly created Senate Select Committee on Religious Liberty is a thinly veiled effort to advance a Christian nationalist agenda.

Patrick announced the formation of the committee on March 23, claiming that it will “educate Texans” about their so-called “God-given religious liberty rights” and ensure those rights are not infringed. All committee members except one are Republican and all appear to be affiliated with conservative Christianity.

“Just like President Trump’s so-called Religious Liberty Commission, which Patrick chairs, this committee isn’t about protecting religious liberty — it’s about undermining true religious freedom,” says FFRF Co-President Annie Laurie Gaylor. “Religious freedom under our secular Constitution means the right not just to believe, but to disbelieve. It does not mean the right to impose your religion on others or to claim exemptions from laws that protect public health and civil rights because of your religion.”

The committee’s mandate raises concerns about its purpose. With a leadership structure closely aligned with Patrick’s political priorities, the body appears designed to promote a predetermined ideological outcome rather than conduct a balanced or meaningful review.

FFRF warns that Patrick’s framing of religious liberty as “God-given”  reveals that he appears to be unaware that the Constitution itself is godless and its only references to religion are exclusionary, such as barring any religious test for public office. Sovereignty is invested not in a deity but in “We the People,” and our democracy runs by consent of the governed — not whatever deity Patrick subscribes to.

FFRF notes that similar efforts across the country have been used to justify discrimination against LGBTQ+ individuals, undermine reproductive rights and erode the all-American principle of separation between church and state.

FFRF emphasizes that Texas is home to a religiously diverse population, including millions of residents who are atheist, agnostic or religiously unaffiliated, as well as adherents of minority faiths. Any government project that elevates one religious perspective over others marginalizes large segments of the population.

“There can be no religious freedom without the freedom to dissent,” adds Gaylor. “When religion enters government, watch out!”

The Freedom From Religion Foundation will monitor the committee’s actions and oppose any efforts that threaten the constitutional rights of Texans.

The Freedom From Religion Foundation is a national nonprofit organization with over 41,000 members and several chapters nationwide, including 1,800 members and a chapter in Texas. FFRF’s purposes are to defend the constitutional principle of separation between church and state, and to educate the public on matters relating to nontheism.

Read this press release online.

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FFRF successfully halted the teaching of creationism at a Colorado public charter school. (April 2026)

Colorado —

FFRF successfully halted the teaching of creationism in the science curriculum at a Colorado public charter school.

FFRF wrote to the CEO of James Irwin Charter Schools after a concerned parent reported that James Irwin Charter Middle School in Colorado Springs was planning to include “intelligent design” and “creationist theory” alongside evolution in its eighth-grade science curriculum. According to an email sent to parents by the school’s science lead, the evolution unit proposed to “teach Intelligent Design and evolution” and “present a creationist theory and an evolutionist theory regarding natural selection, adaptation and evolution.”

FFRF Staff Attorney Sammi Lawrence wrote to the district explaining that teaching creationism or intelligent design in public school science classes violates the Establishment Clause of the First Amendment.

“Promoting creationism, intelligent design or any of its offshoots in public schools is unlawful because creationism is based solely on religion, not scientific fact,” her letter stated. FFRF noted that the Supreme Court and federal courts have consistently rejected attempts to introduce religious doctrine into public school science classes, including the landmark ruling in Edwards v. Aguillard (1987) and the federal decision in Kitzmiller v. Dover Area School District (2005), which struck down policies promoting creationism and intelligent design.

FFRF’s intervention had the desired result. Following its letter, the school system investigated the matter and scrapped the pseudoscience portion of the curriculum.

“Please know that this practice has ceased,” CEO Rob Daugherty wrote in a response to FFRF. “Intelligent design will not be taught in the middle school or in any other James Irwin Charter School as part of a science curriculum.”

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FFRF taught school district that student clubs must be student led and employees cannot promote or participate. (April 2026)

Iowa —

FFRF taught the Fort Dodge Community School District in Iowa that student religious clubs must be student led, and school employees cannot promote or participate in these clubs.

A community member reported that adult staff members at Fort Dodge Middle School (FDMS) were overtly and inappropriately involved in organizing, leading, advertising and encouraging participation in the school’s Fellowship of Christian Athletes (FCA) club. FFRF learned that during the workday, staff members at FDMS were promoting the FCA club to students and encouraging them to join. FCA is an explicitly religious organization based in evangelical Christianity and the Iowa FCA has direct statements of its Christian faith on its website homepage. Additionally, a multitude of Facebook posts were discovered that show the district having a long pattern and practice of routinely permitting staff and outside adults to organize, lead, promote and sponsor the middle school’s FCA club in violation of federal law and the school board’s own policy.

“Even if the club is properly renting school space for its meetings, the school cannot advertise an outside-run religious club, grant outside adults special access to students, recruit students to join the club, or promote the club’s religious message,” FFRF Staff Attorney Sammi Lawrence wrote to the district.

FFRF’s letter led to the district reaching out to legal counsel for advice as to how to resolve the matter. Superintendent Joshua Porter wrote in an email, “You can assure [the community member] that we have worked with our legal counsel on this matter and will follow their recommendations.”

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A nonreligious student felt excluded after not receiving a bible during a bible distribution. (April 2026)

North Carolina —

FFRF stood up for a nonreligious student in the Montgomery County Schools system in North Carolina after a bible distribution left them feeling excluded, resulting in the district being advised not to allow similar events to take place in the future.

A local parent reported that last December, Star Elementary School allowed an outside adult to distribute bibles to students on school property during the school day. Reportedly, the adult was allowed to approach students to distribute bibles. When the parent wrote to FFRF regarding the distribution, they expressed their discomfort by the event, saying, “it forced my child into an environment where they felt like an ‘outsider’ for not participating in religious-leaning instruction.”

“When a public school allows the distribution of bibles to students on school property during the school day, it entangles itself with religion, and specifically Christianity,” FFRF Patrick O’Reilley Legal Fellow Charlotte R. Gude wrote. “Distributing bibles needlessly marginalizes students, such as our complainant’s child, who are nonreligious, as well as those who belong to minority faiths.”

After receiving FFRF’s letter, the district contacted legal representative Patricia Robinson to ensure full compliance with the Constitution. Robinson confirmed that the district investigated the situation, stating that, while the bibles were available for students to pick up and were indicated not to be district affiliated, the event “was not consistent with board policy regarding the distribution of non-school materials.” Robinson additionally provided legal training to school administrators regarding the First Amendment and compliance with board policy regarding distribution of non-school materials.

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A public school system in Oklahoma stopped a high school football coach from leading students in prayer before games. (April 2026)

Oklahoma —

Thanks to information provided by a local member, FFRF’s work saw the San Springs Public Schools system in Oklahoma stop a high school football coach from leading students in prayer before games.

After receiving a report from member William Dusenberry, FFRF learned that the head football coach at Charles Page High school had reportedly led student-athletes in the Lord’s Prayer before a game in December 2025. In order to protect student rights, FFRF Staff Attorney Sammi Lawrence wrote to the district, calling for an investigation to put a stop to coaching staff  pushing prayer on students.

“When coaches lead students in prayer and direct or encourage them to pray, the student-athletes will no doubt feel that participating in that prayer is essential to pleasing their coach and being viewed as a team player,” Lawrence wrote.

The district rightfully looked into the situation, and FFRF learned from the district’s legal representative, John E. Priddy, that action had been taken. “The administration and I have spoken about ensuring that this does not happen in the future and the administration is committed to ensuring the law is followed.”

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