A Catholic counselor in Oregon is suing the state’s licensure board for fining him nearly $90,000 after he shared his religious beliefs on same-sex relationships after 20 minutes of questioning by a client.
The case began in July 2023 when one of Frank Canepa’s longtime clients asked him for a personal affirmation of same-sex relationships, according to legal nonprofit Alliance Defending Freedom (ADF). During her nearly three years of counseling, the client had been in both same-sex and opposite-sex relationships.
ADF states that Frank attempted to sidestep and redirect the question to avoid bringing his personal views to their session. However, she insisted on receiving an answer for 20 minutes, prompting him to eventually explain that he could not affirm same-sex relationships due to his Catholic beliefs.
After the client ended her sessions with Canepa, a report was filed with the Board of Licensed Professional Counselors and Therapists, which then opened an investigation into Canepa. He was accused of attempting to impose his views on clients and ordered to take six hours of continuing education, which was a guidance from an administrative law judge. At the judge’s recommendation, the board also required Canepa to pay for the cost of the disciplinary measures, which it said totaled $89,636.43.
After failing to be supported by the judge, Canepa is now appealing his case to the Oregon Court of Appeals, citing a violation of his free speech rights.
ADF, which is coordinating his legal defense, called the penalties against him "unconstitutional," adding that the government “cannot dictate which viewpoints counselors are allowed to reveal.”
“Punishing a counselor for sharing his personal beliefs — especially ones he shared only after persistent questioning — is exactly what the First Amendment forbids,” ADF stated.
ADF is pointing to a March 2026 decision from the U.S. Supreme Court — which ruled that Colorado counselor Kaley Chiles cannot be banned from helping minor clients overcome gender dysphoria — as precedent for the case. In that case, as Zeale News previously reported, the Supreme Court said the First Amendment guarantees protection from “any effort to enforce orthodoxy in thought or speech in this country.”
“Free speech is for everyone, including in the counseling room,” ADF stated. “No government should punish a counselor for honestly answering a client’s question about his or her beliefs.”