3Stories - April 20, 2026

There is no doubt that the scales of justice had been unfortunately been tilted against pro-life people who have had their First Amendment rights threatened and found themselves arrested for engaging in peaceful protest.  The law responsible is the FACE Act, which stands for Freedom of Access to Clinic Entrances Act.  The U.S. Justice Department issued a press release last week, which said: "Based on a review of over 700,000 internal records, the report not only details specific ways the Biden Justice Department weaponized federal law, but also outlines the corrective action taken by the current Justice Department to make right the wrongs of the prior administration."

Concerned Women for America, in a press release, highlighted these aspects of the report:

1. The Biden DOJ violated the rights of Americans by its biased enforcement of the FACE Act. 2. The Biden DOJ collaborated with pro-abortion groups to track pro-life activists’ First Amendment activity. 3. Biden DOJ prosecutors engaged in inappropriate conduct and comments. 4. The Biden DOJ pursued more severe charges and significantly harsher sentences for peaceful pro-life defendants than violent pro-abortion defendants. 5. The Biden DOJ sought to provide funding to pro-abortion groups.

The release by the DOJ highlighted actions that it and President are taking, including: "President Trump issued full and unconditional pardons to many of the pro-life Christians unfairly targeted by the Biden DOJ," and "DOJ has settled civil cases to address the injustices and took personnel action against those responsible."  According to the report, "The Trump DOJ issued a directive that, moving forward, DOJ prosecutors may only bring abortion-related civil actions and prosecutions under the FACE Act in extraordinary circumstances or in cases presenting significant aggravating factors."

One pro-life individual who had been arrested in a pre-dawn raid at his home was Mark Houck.  The Christian Post reported last week that, "In a statement published Thursday, the pro-life advocacy group 40 Days for Life Institute of Law & Justice announced that pro-life activist Mark Houck won a settlement of over $1 million nearly four years after the early morning FBI raid on his home generated outrage." The article noted that Houck had been "charged with violating the Freedom of Access to Clinic Entrances (FACE) Act...in 2022."

It's become quite an issue across the nation as school officials are being directed to keep secrets about a student's gender identity from the child's parents.  And, it has cost a school board in Indiana.  The Christian Post reported that, "School counselor Kathy McCord sued the South Madison Community School Corporation after being fired for refusing to follow a policy that required staff to conceal from parents that their child identified as the opposite sex while at school."

McCord's issues with the school board began in 2021, when it issued a "Gender Support Plan" that, in and of itself, was supposed to be kept a secret.  The article notes: "In March 2023, the school board for the South Madison Community School Corporation decided to fire McCord for her public opposition to the plan."  McCord had been referred to in a Daily Signal article.  Alliance Defending Freedom filed a lawsuit after she was fired.  The complaint stated, “South Madison fired Mrs. McCord for exercising her constitutional rights. And even before its unconstitutional retaliation, it compelled her to speak a viewpoint that violates her religion..."  The school district has settled with Kathy McCord for almost $200,000.

Tommy Waltz is an evangelist with Gospel of God Ministries.  He and his ministry team have visited a number of public festivals in the Raleigh, NC area to share a message about Christ; they have found themselves being told to leave public areas.  Liberty Counsel has responded by sending a demand letter to the Raleigh Police Department; on its website, the Christian legal organization stated, "The letter, addressed to Raleigh Police Chief Rico Boyce, states that city police officers repeatedly ordered Christian evangelist Tommy Waltz and other ministry members to stop preaching, turn off its sound system, and leave public streets and sidewalks during several public events."

The website noted:

Streets and sidewalks are “undisputed quintessential public forums” with heightened First Amendment protection, wrote Liberty Counsel. Since the restrictions were not “content-neutral” or “narrowly tailored to a significant government interest,” nor did they “leave open alternative channels of communication,” they fail the “time, place, and manner test” for restrictions on public gatherings and speech.

Liberty Counsel states, "Raleigh police officers unconstitutionally denied access to public sidewalks, improperly relied on event coordinators’ objections, and misapplied local noise ordinances to curtail the ministry’s speech."  Liberty Counsel has asked for a response by this Thursday, April 23.