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FCA v. SAN JOSE UNIFIED SCHOOL DISTRICT

No. 22-15827.

46 F.4th 1075 (2022)

FELLOWSHIP OF CHRISTIAN ATHLETES, an Oklahoma corporation; Fellowship of Christian Athletes of Pioneer High School, an unincorporated association; Charlotte Klarke; Elizabeth Sinclair, Plaintiffs-Appellants, v. SAN JOSE UNIFIED SCHOOL DISTRICT BOARD OF EDUCATION; Nancy Albarran, in her official and personal capacity; Herb Espiritu, in his official and personal capacity; Peter Glasser, in his official and personal capacity; Stephen McMahon, in his official and personal capacity, Defendants-Appellees.

United States Court of Appeals, Ninth Circuit.

Filed August 29, 2022.

Attorney(s) appearing for the Case

Daniel H. Blomberg (argued), Eric S. Baxter , Nicholas R. Reaves , Abigail E. Smith , and James J. Kim , Becket Fund for Religious Liberty, Washington, D.C.; Kimberlee Wood Colby , Center for Law & Religious Freedom, Springfield, Virginia; Christopher J. Schweickert , Seto Wood & Schweickert LLP, Pleasant Hill, California; for Plaintiffs-Appellants.

Stacey M. Leyton (argued) and Stephen Berzon , Altshuler Berzon LLP, San Francisco, California; Amy R. Levine , Dannis Woliver Kelley, San Francisco, California; Richard B. Katskee and Kenneth D. Upton Jr. , Americans United for Separation of Church and State, Washington, D.C.; for Defendants-Appellees.

Christopher E. Mills , Spero Law LLC, Charleston, South Carolina, for Amici Curiae Campus Crusade for Christ Inc., Intervarsity Christian Fellowship/USA, Young Life, Ratio Christi, and The Navigators.

Eduardo E. Santacana , Wilkie Farr & Gallagher LLP, San Francisco, California; Kathryn Joseph , Director of Policy & Advocacy, Interfaith Alliance Foundation; for Amicus Curiae Interfaith Alliance Foundation.

Michael G. Schietzelt Jr. , Robertson Center for Constitutional Law, Regent University School of Law, Virginia Beach, Virginia, for Amicus Curiae Robertson Center for Constitutional Law.

Cynthia Fleming Crawford and Casey Mattox , Americans for Prosperity Foundation, Arlington, Virginia, for Amicus Curiae Americans for Prosperity Foundation.

Howard Slugh , Jewish Coalition for Religious Liberty, Washington, D.C., for Amicus Curiae Jewish Coalition for Religious Liberty.

Keisha T. Russell , Kelly J. Shackleford , Jeffrety C. Mateer , and David J. Hacker , First Liberty Institute, Plano, Texas; Kayla A. Toney , First Liberty Institute, Washington, D.C.; for Amici Curiae D.B., Hannah Thompson, and Jacob Estell.

Kathleen L. Smithgall , Assistant Solicitor General; David M.S. Dewhirst , Solicitor General; Austin Knudsen , Attorney General of Montana; Montana Department of Justice, Helena, Montana; Steve Marshall , Alabama Attorney General; Leslie Rutledge , Arkansas Attorney General; Mark Brnovich , Arizona Attorney General; Ashley Moody , Florida Attorney General; Christopher M. Carr , Georgia Attorney General; Todd E. Rokita , Indiana Attorney General; Derek Schmidt , Kansas Attorney General; Daniel Cameron , Kentucky Attorney General; Jeff Landry , Louisiana Attorney General; Eric S. Schmitt , Missouri Attorney General; Lynn Fitch , Mississippi Attorney General; Doug Peterson , Nebraska Attorney General; John M. O'Connor , Oklahoma Attorney General; Alan Wilson , South Carolina Attorney General; Ken Paxton , Texas Attorney General; Sean D. Reyes , Utah Attorney General; Jason S. Miyares , Virginia Attorney General; Patrick Morrisey , West Virginia Attorney General; for Amici Curiae State of Montana and 18 Other States.

Anthony J. Dick and Harry S. Graver , Jones Day, Washington, D.C., for Amicus Curiae Professor Michael W. McConnell.

Ronald G. London , Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression, Washington, D.C., for Amicus Curiae Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression.

Blaine H. Evanson , Gibson Dunn & Crutcher LLP, Irvine, California; Joseph R. Rose , Gibson Dunn & Crutcher LLP, San Francisco, California; Jun Nam , Gibson Dunn & Crutcher LLP, Palo Alto, California; for Amici Curiae Cardinal Newman Society and Christian Medical & Dental Associations.

Courtney M. Dankworth , Harold W. Williford , Joshua N. Cohen , and Isabelle M. Canaan , Debevoise & Plimpton LLP, New York, New York; Emily Martin , Sunu Chandy , Phoebe Wolfe , Auden Perino , and Hunter Iannucci , National Women's Law Center, Washington, D.C.; for Amici Curiae National Women's Law Center and Twenty-One Additional Organizations.

Mark Bresee , Alyssa Ruiz de Esparza , and Juliana Duran , Atkinson Andelson Loya Ruud & Romo, La Jolla, California; Keith Bray , Kristin Lindgren , and Dana Scott , California School Boards Association, West Sacramento, California; for Amicus Curiae California School Boards Association and its Education Legal Alliance.

Dissent by Judge Christen

OPINION

This case pits two competing values that we cherish as a nation: the principle of non-discrimination on the one hand, and the First Amendment's protection of free exercise of religion and free speech on the other hand.

The Fellowship of Christian Athletes (FCA) requires students serving in leadership...

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