He sparked outrage with his comment.
During a Ventura City Council meeting on March 18, Tarin Swain, a mother of six and marketing manager for Moms For America, was interrupted while praying in Jesus’ name. Swain had taken the podium to voice concerns about a proposed policy that would make Ventura a “sanctuary city” for LGBT communities, illegal immigrants, and support for abortion rights. She shared her personal experience with her daughter being socially transitioned at school without her consent, which included changing her daughter’s name and gender in class and recommending inappropriate books. Swain also criticized the school’s DEI curriculum for introducing sexual identity concepts early and presenting transgender men as pregnant in educational materials.
Swain began her address by stating that her daughter’s social transition at school occurred without her approval, which sparked a hostile response from the audience. Despite the disruptions, she attempted to continue her speech and offered a prayer, asking for God’s intervention in the council’s proceedings. As she prayed, Mayor Jeannette Sanchez-Palacios intervened, asserting that “we don’t do prayer” during the meeting, instructing Swain to finish her comments. Swain completed her prayer, emphasizing her Christian faith and the need for divine intervention.
Swain later explained that while she hadn’t initially planned to pray, the limited time given for her remarks led her to ask God for guidance. She felt compelled by the Holy Spirit to use her 60 seconds to pray, which she did, even though the crowd’s reaction was loud and confrontational. Swain was caught off guard by the mayor’s intervention but found support from a community member who noted that in his years attending meetings, no one had ever been stopped from praying.
Legal experts, including Erin Smith from the First Liberty Institute, argued that Swain’s prayer was not in violation of the Establishment Clause, as it was a personal expression rather than a government-sponsored act. Clips of the incident went viral on social media, drawing attention to the city’s proposed CARE policy, which aims to protect reproductive rights and support immigrant and gender-diverse residents. In response to public outcry, the council temporarily pulled the measure from consideration but plans to revisit it in April.
Swain believes that standing up for her faith is crucial in challenging what she sees as detrimental policies. She feels that Christians need to be vocal in opposing such measures and that prayer is an essential tool in addressing these issues. Swain’s actions serve as a call to action for others to take a stand against what she views as an overreach by both the government and educational institutions.