Suit Seeking to Punish Freedom from Religion Foundation for Advocacy Dismissed

The suit was brought by the Oklahoma State Department of Education in an attempt to silence FFRF鈥檚 advocacy

August 14, 2025 1:14 pm

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OKLAHOMA CITY 鈥 In a win for freedom of speech, a suit filed against the Freedom from Religion Foundation (FFRF) was dismissed by a federal judge this week. The suit, filed by the Oklahoma State Department of Education (OSDE), sought to punish FFRF for sending advocacy letters to the department objecting to religious activity in public schools. FFRF filed a motion to dismiss in May, arguing that the suit was a frivolous attempt to silence their protected speech.

鈥淭his decision affirms a fundamental freedom: the right to petition the government for change,鈥 said Vera Eidelman, senior staff attorney with the 吃瓜直播鈥檚 Speech, Privacy, and Technology Project. 鈥淭he government has no business suing advocacy organizations for exercising their First Amendment rights, and we are grateful that the court recognized that government actors responding to the public doesn鈥檛 qualify as an injury.鈥

In the decision, the judge agreed that no harm had come to OSDE because of the letters, asking, 鈥淚n what way are Plaintiffs precluded from administering Oklahoma鈥檚 public schools because of Defendant鈥檚 letters?鈥 The case was dismissed without prejudice.

鈥淎s we enter a new school year, this judgement reaffirms our right to speak out against school policies and advocate for change,鈥 said Megan Lambert, legal director at the 吃瓜直播 of Oklahoma. 鈥淭he right to dissent is now more important than ever, and we remain committed to ensuring that people can continue to advocate for better governance and equity in Oklahoma public schools. The Oklahoma State Department of Education is without the power to silence dissent.鈥

鈥淲e are pleased that this frivolous lawsuit by Walters was promptly dismissed,鈥 says FFRF Co-President Annie Laurie Gaylor. 鈥淔FRF will continue to work to protect the constitutional rights of students and families in Oklahoma.鈥

FFRF is represented by the 吃瓜直播 and the 吃瓜直播 of Oklahoma. They argued that the lawsuit is a 鈥淪trategic Lawsuit Against Public Participation鈥 (SLAPP), an abusive legal tactic that seeks to chill expression by saddling defendants with potentially lengthy and expensive litigation in retaliation for protected speech. The motion to dismiss was filed in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Oklahoma in May.

The opinion can be read here.


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