Oregon board drops $90K fine against Christian counselor

Oregon’s counselor licensing board earlier this month withdrew a nearly $90,000 fine against a Christian counselor, according to court documents. The Oregon Board of Licensed Professional Counselors and Therapists previously took disciplinary action against Frank Canepa after he declined to personally affirm same-sex relationships, citing his Catholic faith. The board withdrew its hefty fine after Alliance Defending Freedom appealed Canepa’s case to a state court. The board did not give a reason for its decision to withdraw the fine.

Why did the board try to discipline Canepa in the first place? The board accused Canepa of violating a provision of the American Counseling Association’s code of ethics. The board cited Section A.4.b of the code, which prohibits counselors from imposing their own values or beliefs on clients, particularly in cases where the association considers those values or beliefs "inconsistent with the client’s goals” or “discriminatory in nature."

What do Canepa’s attorneys have to say? The government can’t target counselors for their views or force them to affirm views that go against their religious beliefs, ADF attorney Jonathan Scruggs said in a statement. The Supreme Court’s March decision in Chiles v. Salazar clearly demonstrated that counselors have clear speech rights, Scruggs added.

Why was Canepa asked to affirm same-sex relationships? A client repeatedly asked Canepa to bless or affirm her same-sex relationship, according to court documents. Prior to this, Canepa had seen the client for over 2½ years and had not mentioned his personal views on the topic, ADF said. After Canepa disclosed his Biblical views on same-sex relationships, she filed a complaint against him, according to court documents.

The Oregon board found that Canepa’s response was discriminatory and ordered him to undergo six hours of continuing education and pay the costs of his hearing, which amounted to nearly $90,000.

Dig deeper: Read my report on a Washington therapist who asked courts to overturn a state conversion therapy ban.