In a significant victory for free speech and religious liberty, the United States Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit today reversed a lower court’s decision and ordered the District Court to grant a preliminary injunction to reinstate a voluntary men’s program that had been canceled by the Minnesota Department of Corrections (MDOC). The victory was a joint effort between the Upper Midwest Law Center (UMLC) and True North Legal.

The ruling in Schmitt v. Rebertus grants a preliminary injunction to Anthony Schmitt, a Christian volunteer who taught the “Quest for Authentic Manhood” program at a Minnesota correctional facility. The Eighth Circuit found that Schmitt is likely to succeed on the merits of his First Amendment claims and ordered that the program be reinstated while the case proceeds to a full trial.

The lawsuit was filed after the MDOC terminated the program, stating in a letter that it “directly conflicts with the diversity, equity, and inclusivity values of the department by defining manhood, or the study of masculinity, through a biblical lens of what a ‘real man looks like.’”

Read our full press release here.