The American Council Responds to Slanderous Claims by Sacramento Bee Editorial Board
In a scathing article, the Sacramento Bee Editorial Board wrote a piece entitled A theocracy in Rocklin: School board president calls for ‘Christ centered’ parents, where they attacked a Latter Day Saint school board trustee for encouraging her faith community to get involved.
Last week, Rocklin Unified School Board President Julie Hupp posted on her Facebook page encouraging Christ-centered and family-oriented parents to join the district's advisory committees.
Local activists quickly responded with comments that would make any stomach churn. "[Christians] shouldn't be allowed in public schools" and "Keep your bronze age myth away from our children" were just some of the bigoted remarks.
The opinion article was less about the Rocklin School Board and more about the American Council and our work fighting for parents and families.
Somehow, the Sacramento Bee Editorial Board used most of its digital real estate to attack the work of the American Council. Their problem? Wait for it… fighting for parents:
Locally, the “parental rights” movement in Placer County has been bolstered by a new Christian advocacy group, the American Council, which endorses and funds candidates who align with the group’s core mission of promoting a “biblical worldview.” The American Council, which endorsed Hupp, gave her 2022 campaign for school board $3,000. [...] The American Council is also inextricably linked to Rocklin’s powerful megachurch, Destiny: Rocklin Unified School Board Member Tiffany Saathoff, who has said that the Bible and her Christian beliefs guide her decisions as an elected official as much as the law of the land, is a pastor at Destiny. In addition to the $4,700 Saathoff received from the American Council as part of her school board campaign, she also received $4,900 from Destiny Pastor Greg Fairrington.
Executive Editor Colleen McCain Nelson, Opinion Editor Marcos Breton, opinion writer Tom Philip, opinion writer RObin Epley, and op-ed editor Hannah Holzer, continued claiming the American Council believes America should be a Christian theocracy:
Destiny Church, the American Council and its disciples, including Hupp, are flagrant proponents for Christian nationalism. They believe America should be a kind of Christian theocracy, wherein the lines separating church and state — a fundamental American right guaranteed in the Establishment Clause of the First Amendment — are nonexistent.
In response, Tanner DiBella, President of the American Council, released a statement:
Cloaked in journalism, the Sacramento Bee claims that the American Council is a proponent of Christian nationalism and Christian theocracy. These statements reflect a pattern of prejudice and bigotry toward Christians. We do not believe in forcing religion on people or society. Like any group, we have a right to make sure our religious community is represented on essential issues. Trustee Hupp's comments do not exclude any group but encourage an increasingly ostracized community to participate in the conversation. With no evidence or reporting measures, the Sacramento-based paper makes a living by attacking conservative and Christian leaders, organizations, and communities—the Sacramento Bee profits off rage and anti-Christian rhetoric. The American Council has become one of California's most influential advocacy groups because we are doing the hard work to strengthen families, protect religious communities, and improve society. The self-righteous grandstanding from the Sacramento Bee will not deter us. It only emboldens us.
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The American Council is a family advocacy organization based in California. Their mission is to strengthen the family, expand religious liberty, and better society. They work with policymakers, non-profits, and the public to inspire action and advance good.
Tanner DiBella