Oregon drops $90K fine for Christian counselor who refused to affirm LGBT identity of client
Oregon officials have agreed to withdraw a fine of nearly $90,000 assessed on a Christian counselor after he refused to affirm the LGBT identity of a client.
The Oregon Board of Licensed Professional Counselors and Therapists recently agreed to withdraw a “Notice of Proposed Disciplinary Action” against Frank Canepa.
Filed in the Court of Appeals of the State of Oregon, the withdrawal order was voted on by the board and approved without prejudice, ending a disciplinary process that began in 2024.
The board’s withdrawal order cited the U.S. Supreme Court decision Chiles v. Salazar, in which the high court ruled 8-1 that Colorado could not ban licensed professionals from counseling minors to change their sexual orientation or help children with gender dysphoria accept their sex.
Canepa was represented by the Alliance Defending Freedom (ADF), a law firm that has successfully argued First Amendment cases before the Supreme Court, including Chiles v. Salazar.
Jonathan Scruggs, senior counsel and vice president of litigation strategy at ADF, said in a statement that government officials “can’t target counselors for their views and force people to say things that go against their core convictions.”
“The Supreme Court recently took Colorado to task for censoring counselors and mandating orthodoxy in the counselor’s office, and Oregon should take notice,” said Scruggs.
“ADF will continue to ensure that free speech is protected in Oregon — and every state where it’s threatened — and halt states’ attempts to weaponize their licensure systems.”
In 2024, the board issued a notice of proposed disciplinary action against Canepa when he refused to personally affirm the same-sex relationship of a client during a counseling session.
The following year, the board issued a final order claiming that Canepa had violated ethical standards and ordered him to undergo six hours of “continuing education” and pay the costs for the process, which totaled $89,636.
Last October, Canepa filed a petition for review with the state Court of Appeals, with Matthew Wand, a lawyer and former state representative, arguing the case on his behalf.
In May, after the initial brief was filed, the board agreed to reconsider its punishment of Canepa in light of the Chiles v. Salazar decision.
