The Minnesota Department of Corrections (DOC) cancelled the “Quest for Authentic Manhood” Christian rehabilitation program at the St. Cloud prison in 2023 because it taught masculinity through a “biblical lens” that officials claimed conflicted with DOC “diversity, equity, and inclusivity” values. The program was entirely voluntary, and more than 1,000 inmates had completed it. Many inmates who completed the program reported that it restored their family relationships and transformed their lives.  But none of that mattered to the ideologues at the DOC whose hostility toward the program’s Christian teachings led them to summarily terminate it.  True North Legal and its co-counsel, Upper Midwest Law Center, commenced suit on behalf of Anthony Schmitt, the Christian volunteer who led the program for over a decade, alleging violations of his First Amendment speech and religious rights.

The Federal District Court for the District of Minnesota denied Schmitt’s motion for a preliminary injunction, but the Eighth Circuit Court of Appeals reversed, holding that the DOC’s decision was not neutral and targeted the program’s religious viewpoint, amounting to unconstitutional viewpoint discrimination. The Court found Schmitt likely to succeed on the merits and ordered the District Court to issue an injunction reinstating the Quest program while the case proceeds—a major win for religious liberty in public institutions.

This case is far more than a fight for one, consequential prison ministry. In an era where DEI mandates permeate government and demand conformity to leftist secular ideals, this case is a frontline battle to protect the ability of believers to serve and shine the light of Christ in prisons, schools, and the community without fear of ideological purge.