FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
November 18, 2025
Attempt to Silence Virginia Christian Leader Fails
Family Policy Alliance Warns of Escalating National Attacks on Pro-Family Voices
Family Policy Alliance is responding today after a last-minute attempt to silence a pro-family leader failed—clearing the way for her to speak at a student-invited event at a Virginia high school.
Victoria Cobb, President of The Family Foundation—Family Policy Alliance’s allied Virginia organization—was scheduled to address a Turning Point USA club at Western Albemarle High School in Crozet on Wednesday, November 19. As Cobb explained on social media Tuesday evening, although students invited her and she followed every required procedure, an nonbinary individual rushed into federal court late Tuesday seeking a restraining order to bar her from even entering the building.
This morning, that effort collapsed, and Cobb will speak as planned.
The Founding Freedoms Law Center filed an emergency response brief in her defense. After reviewing the matter, authorities did not uphold the request to remove her from campus. Cobb shared an update in a podcast Wednesday morning.
“This was an outrageous attempt to weaponize the courts to silence viewpoints,” said Family Policy Alliance CEO Craig DeRoche. “We are thankful the effort failed—but the fact that it was even attempted should deeply concern every parent, student, and citizen.”
The attempted restraining order came amid escalating tensions in the district. A local school board member recently compared the student TPUSA club to the Ku Klux Klan—an accusation that made national headlines and heightened scrutiny of the event.
Instead of addressing the misconduct of elected leaders, the attempted order focused on blocking a peaceful conservative leader from speaking to students who asked to hear from her.
“This should alarm Americans across the political spectrum,” added Family Policy Alliance Vice President of Policy Joseph Kohm. “When courts or government systems are misused to intimidate and silence invited speakers, that is a constitutional crisis—even if the effort ultimately fails.”
Family Policy Alliance emphasized that this incident represents part of a nationwide pattern of escalating hostility toward pro-family organizations and leaders. In recent years, state partners in FPA’s network have faced:
The firebombing of Wisconsin Family Action’s office,
Vandalism, threats, and harassment at multiple policy councils across the country, and
The incarceration of New York pro-family leader Jason McGuire, who was sentenced to eight weekends in jail over minor campaign-paperwork misdemeanors after a years-long, politically motivated investigation.
“From firebombings to false arrests to restraining orders, the message from extremists is clear: silence Christian viewpoints,” DeRoche said. “But our movement is resilient, and we will not back down.”
Family Policy Alliance is calling on Virginia state and district leaders to safeguard viewpoint-neutral access to school facilities, hold elected officials accountable for inflammatory rhetoric, and ensure that ideological intimidation does not become a governing principle in public education.
Family Policy Alliance is a movement comprising 40 state-level, independent policy councils that represent over 50,000 church partners and millions of Christian advocates nationwide.
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Media Contact:
(719) 308-2822 | Media@FamilyPolicyAlliance.com
Family Policy Alliance advances biblical values through civic engagement for a nation where God is honored, religious freedom flourishes, families thrive and life is cherished.