What happened to Jack
Case Updates
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Stand against efforts to silence people of faith with your tax-deductible gift!
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Dear John,
Jack Denton considers his story a warning for people like you.
Eight months into his one-year term as Student Senate President at Florida State University, he was removed from the position because of his faith.
“I was completely blindsided,” Jack says.
As a member of the Catholic Student Union, Jack was part of a large group chat in which students could send prayer requests and offer encouragement to each other.
Shortly after George Floyd was tragically killed, a student in the group chat sent a link to a video asking other students to watch it. The more views the video received, the more money would be donated to various groups including BlackLivesMatter.com and the American Civil Liberties Union.
Naturally, Jack was concerned.
These groups advocate for policies that explicitly contradict what the Catholic Church teaches on issues like abortion and transgenderism.
Jack felt compelled to point out the conflict between what these groups stand for and what the Catholic Church teaches… So, he did.
But apparently sharing your beliefs—even in private—can be dangerous these days.
Generous Ministry Friends have given a $500,000 grant to challenge you to raise your voice for freedom. They know that if we don’t act now, attacks on people of faith will only get worse. Will you rise to the challenge and stand for freedom with your tax-deductible gift today?
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Our freedoms are fragile and must be defended
A fellow member of the Catholic Student Union took a screenshot of some of the private texts that Jack wrote and sent them to other students. Some members of the Student Senate claimed the texts showed that Jack was unfit to serve as President.
Ultimately, after two separate Senate votes, hours of criticism for his faith, and ongoing verbal attacks, the paid position that Jack had worked so hard to attain was ripped away from him.
All this because Jack dared to share his Catholic beliefs in a private conversation. Beliefs that he has the right to share with anyone under the First Amendment.
John, there are multiple reasons to be concerned about what happened to Jack.
At no point did university officials step in to defend Jack’s constitutional rights and set things right. In fact, they enforced the improper removal by stopping Jack’s pay. Public universities that discriminate against religious students violate the First Amendment, plain and simple.
That’s why Alliance Defending Freedom filed a lawsuit against the university on Jack’s behalf. University officials have a duty to uphold the Constitution on campus. But that is clearly not what happened at Florida State.
Unfortunately, the problem isn’t isolated to one campus.
“There is a false narrative on college campuses today that you have the right to not be offended—anything that offends you is hate speech," reveals Jack.
Across the country, students, faculty, and administrators are working to silence and punish Christian and conservative speech.
You’ve likely seen videos featuring mobs of college students shouting down speakers they disagree with, attacking their conservative and pro-life peers, and using threats and intimidation to prevent the exposure of new and different ideas.
If college graduates continue to leave their campuses without a firm understanding of our First Amendments freedoms—like free speech and religious freedom—then America may only be a generation away from losing those freedoms.
In fact, it’s already begun.
Cancel culture now rears its ugly head in the halls of government, large corporations, news media, and more. Say or believe the wrong thing, and you risk being canceled.
But there is hope.
Today, you can make you tax-deductible gift to defend your most cherished freedoms. You can stand against efforts to silence Christian and conservative voices. And you can help ensure that freedom always has a strong legal defense.
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The First Amendment protects everyone—the government cannot punish people for sharing their faith
In America, we all have a right to free speech. It’s enshrined in the First Amendment.
But today, this fundamental right is under attack—and it’s not just on campus.
A university punishing a student like Jack is no different than the government passing a law threatening individuals with crippling fines for declining to refer to a male as female or vice versa. Or an employer firing an employee for expressing his religious beliefs in a self-published book. Or police arresting sidewalk counselors for praying on a public walkway outside an abortion facility.
If America is going to remain a diverse and tolerant society, we must act now to protect our First Amendment freedoms—before things get even worse.
And that action starts at our universities on behalf of young people like Jack.
“My experience should serve as a warning,” says Jack. “I hope and pray that my generation will rise up to the challenge to protect the rights enshrined in our Constitution so that we may pass them down to the next generation of Americans.”
John, you have an important role to play in protecting free speech and the legacy of freedom here in America for your children and grandchildren.
A nation without freedom of speech isn’t free at all.
We cannot back down when our most cherished liberties are threatened. ADF is committed to defending students and other individuals who are willing to take a stand for free speech.
People like Jack desperately need help to defend their First Amendment freedoms. And because ADF doesn’t charge clients for the legal defense we provide, their fight isn’t possible without you.
This work is wholly dependent on God’s provision (John 15:5) and your prayers and financial gifts. That’s why your tax-deductible gift today is so critical.
If you feel strongly that America must remain a nation that protects and celebrates freedom of speech, please take your stand today and further the impact of the $500,000 challenge grant.
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Your tax-deductible gift doesn’t just protect Jack’s freedom—it protects yours too.
Thank you for giving generously.
DONATE NOW
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