At a City of Ventura Council meeting on March 18, concerned citizens were given time to voice their support or opposition on issues, including the CARE Policy (Community Autonomy, Rights, and Equality). Ojai Valley News reports the policy aims to "protect reproductive rights, immigrant residents, gender-diverse individuals and all residents of the City of Ventura from restrictive laws and external enforcement efforts."
The room was heated with differing viewpoints on abortion and transgenderism, but what might have been the climax happened when the mother of a Ventura student (pictured above) stepped to the podium:
Woman: "I am a mother of six, and the Ventura County Public Schools socially transitioned my daughter without my consent. [Shouts of 'lies, lies, lies'] I've come here today to offer nothing but prayer, and I want to lift up my Father in heaven."
Amidst loud protestations around the room, she began to pray:
Woman: "Father God, I just come to you in Jesus' name. I pray, Father, that you would tear down the strongholds in this place. I pray, Father, that you would raise up the men in this room [loud interruptions] Father, that you would raise up everybody on this [loud interruptions] …."
Mayor Jeannette Sanchez-Palacios ordered the woman to stop speaking, gaveled the crowd to order, then stated: "We don't do prayer. Please finish your comments."
The Ventura mom finished her prayer over the mayor's continued interruptions and more boos from the audience, then left the podium as her time was running out.
[Editor's note: The woman's time at the podium begins at 2:40 of this video]
AFN spoke with Greg Burt, vice president of California Family Council, who shared that he has attended numerous city council meetings and school board meetings.
"People say all kinds of crazy things," he said. "I've seen singing and poetry read, but never before have I seen a city official or a government official simply declare 'you can't pray.'"
Mayor Sanchez-Palacios, said Burt, "is obviously ignorant of the First Amendment. These meetings are set up so the public can come and share their views, and they are not allowed to edit or stop them unless they're threatening violence or they're going over their time."
According to Burt, the woman could sue the mayor "and easily win" for a violation of her constitutional rights.
"… Our founding fathers, in their wisdom, put right there in law that we have a right to religious liberty and the First Amendment right to speech," said Burt. "So even though you have petty officials who try to shut down speech, this particular mother knew her rights and kept the prayer going anyway. She was right to defy this city council member because the … member was breaking the law.
"There's nothing wrong with praying, if that's what you want to do, in a public hearing," he added.
Image source: Ventura City Council Youtube channel (3/18/2025)
