In another case of government officials failing to understand the First Amendment, an Ohio county tried to block a Christian ministry from providing services to children in the public foster care program because all of its employees are Christians.
A federal court has issued a ruling in favor of Gracehaven Inc., a Christian ministry devoted to supporting victims of sex trafficking, as it pursues legal action against Montgomery County, Ohio, for alleged religious discrimination.
The ministry claims that it was excluded from a government-funded foster care contract solely due to its policy of hiring only Christian employees.
On Monday, the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Ohio’s Western Division at Dayton granted Gracehaven a preliminary injunction. This legal measure temporarily prevents county officials from excluding the ministry from participating in the Title IV-E federal funding program, which supports foster care services. The court’s decision ensures that Gracehaven can continue to receive funding while its case proceeds.
Gracehaven, which specializes in helping young girls who have survived sex trafficking, filed its lawsuit in December 2024.
The complaint stated that the county had refused to renew its longstanding contract with the ministry because Gracehaven only employs staff who share its Christian faith. According to the lawsuit, this decision violated the Free Exercise Clause of the First Amendment, which protects religious organizations from government discrimination based on their beliefs.
Judge Michael Newman wrote,
“Gracehaven will likely succeed on the merits of its claim that Montgomery County’s actions violated the Free Exercise Clause because it excluded Gracehaven from an otherwise available public benefit based on Gracehaven’s choice to employ those who share the same faith.”
In his decision, Judge Newman cited the U.S. Supreme Court’s 2022 ruling in Carson v. Makin, a landmark case involving public benefits and religious freedom. The Supreme Court concluded in that case that denying public funds to religious entities solely due to their faith-based status violated the First Amendment.
Newman agreed with this finding, emphasizing that religious groups cannot be penalized by being denied access to public funding for which they would otherwise qualify.
The legal organization representing Gracehaven, Alliance Defending Freedom (ADF), praised the ruling.
“The government can’t deny public benefits to a Christian ministry that is caring for young survivors of sex trafficking solely because of its religious character and exercise,” said ADF legal counsel Jake Reed, who argued before the court.
“Gracehaven is a force for good, providing comprehensive care, support, and a safe place to call home for the most vulnerable girls in Ohio. We’re pleased the court agreed that the Constitution prohibits the county from punishing Gracehaven by excluding it from the foster care system and public funding simply because the ministry hires those who share its faith,” he continued.
Gracehaven Director Scott Arnold celebrated the latest ruling as it seeks to continue helping young girls rescued from difficult situations, stating,
“Gracehaven empowers young girls rescued from sex trafficking by helping them thrive with dignity in a renewed life. Our team of Christian employees is paramount to this work. As we help these girls work through their pain and trauma and move toward living healthy, fulfilling lives, our ability to hire like-minded people of faith to carry out our mission is essential. We’re grateful for Alliance Defending Freedom’s help in securing this victory.”
Gracehaven had been working with Montgomery County under a contract to provide substitute care services — primarily foster care placements — for nearly 10 years. The most recent agreement was valid from April 1, 2022, through March 31, 2024. When the time came to renew the contract, conflict emerged over language in the agreement.
The ministry sought to include a “non-discrimination provision” that would permit it to continue hiring based on its religious values. The county declined, insisting on using its standard non-discrimination clause, which does not allow religious criteria in employment decisions for publicly funded services.
The county eventually informed Gracehaven that it would not proceed with the contract renewal, citing ongoing concerns about the ministry’s faith-based hiring practices, which it viewed as incompatible with its contract policies.
The case now moves forward in court, with the preliminary injunction ensuring that Gracehaven remains eligible for federal funding during litigation. The case outcome could have broader implications for religious organizations that partner with government agencies to provide social services.
Too many of today’s government agencies equate neutrality with secularism, believing that only non-religious views are acceptable in public programs. The Gracehaven case is a perfect example of this misguided mindset.
To Montgomery County officials, “neutrality” means affirming secularism, but secularism itself is a belief system, a worldview that excludes religious conviction. This approach denies true religious freedom and misrepresents the First Amendment.
The Free Exercise Clause was designed to protect faith-based organizations from being penalized for living out their beliefs, not to force them into conformity with secular ideology.
This idea comes from the ill-conceived and short-sighted decision in the 1989 case of Employment Division v. Smith, wherein the Supreme Court allowed neutral laws to burden religious practice. The precedent was viewed as so injurious to the Free Exercise Clause of the First Amendment that Congress stepped in and passed the Religious Freedom Restoration Act (RFRA) in 1993 to reaffirm the religious liberty rights of all Americans. A later court ruling found that Congress did not have the authority to extend those protections to the states, and so currently 30 states have passed their own RFRAs.
Gracehaven’s work with young survivors of sex trafficking is a living example of Christian compassion. Scripture calls believers to care for the vulnerable and oppressed. James 1:27 declares that “pure and undefiled religion before God the Father is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself unstained by the world.”
Part of why Gracehaven is able to do such difficult and heartrending work with young victims of sex trafficking is because its mission is to not only serve those in need but to embody Christ’s love in every action — and it can’t do that if it’s not allowed to hire staff who share its Christian beliefs.
In other words, how ministry is done is just as important as what is done. When a Christian organization serves in Jesus’s name, it is vital that the work is performed by those who know Him and strive to show His love to others.
This case shows why Christians must stand firm in their faith, especially when facing cultural and legal pressures that challenge biblical convictions.
In America, the First Amendment still rules. The neutrality principle does not override the Free Exercise Clause nor does it mean that Christians cannot live out their faith and beliefs in the public square just like every other American. It simply means that if the state opens a public benefit to one group, it must open it to all groups.
Under the Constitution, a government agency must be a neutral arbiter and administrator —and that doesn’t mean allowing employees to favor only those with the belief system that they are most comfortable with. Because if they do, a judge is going to set them straight.
If you like this article and other content that helps you apply a biblical worldview to today’s politics and culture, consider making a donation here.
