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What Happens When "Conversion Therapy" Providers Break the Law? Real Cases Christian Families Should Know
State licensing boards still have full authority to discipline providers for harmful conduct, no matter how courts rule on speech.
Quick Takeaways
In Chiles v. Salazar (March 2026), the Supreme Court ruled 8 to 1 that Colorado’s ban on licensed talk therapy conversion efforts likely violates free speech protections, but left malpractice and consumer fraud claims intact.
In 2015, a New Jersey jury found the group JONAH liable for consumer fraud, permanently shutting it down and ordering it to pay damages to families it misled.
A California-licensed therapist settled a consumer fraud lawsuit after a client paid him more than $70,000 over eight years based on the false claim that her attractions could be changed.
In June 2026, Colorado signed a law letting people harmed by these practices sue their providers at any time, with no statute of limitations.
State licensing boards still have full authority to discipline providers for harmful conduct, no matter how courts rule on speech.
What the Supreme Court Actually Decided, and Didn’t
In March 2026, the Supreme Court ruled in Chiles v. Salazar that Colorado’s law barring licensed therapists from conversion therapy on minors likely violates the First Amendment as applied to talk therapy. The 8-to-1 decision, written by Justice Neil Gorsuch, sided with therapist Kaley Chiles. Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson was the only dissenter.
The ruling addressed one tool: a state’s pre-emptive ban on a licensed provider’s speech. It did not broadly declare conversion therapy safe or legal. The National Center for Lesbian Rights notes the opinion states plainly that “a traditional malpractice action” remains untouched, and every major medical organization’s opposition to these practices is unaffected. Read CT4F’s breakdown of the Chiles v. Salazar ruling for the fuller picture.
When Courts Have Already Called It Fraud
In 2015, a New Jersey jury found JONAH, Jews Offering New Alternatives for Healing, liable for consumer fraud after promising it could change clients’ attractions. The judge excluded the group’s own expert witnesses, ruling there was no factual basis for the “success statistics” it advertised. JONAH was ordered to pay damages and permanently shut down.
California-licensed therapist Lloyd Willey settled a consumer fraud lawsuit after a former client paid him more than $70,000 over eight years, having been told her attractions were unnatural and could be changed. The case followed a California ruling affirming that conversion therapy can constitute consumer fraud, a path that does not depend on any state’s licensing ban.
Colorado’s New Law: A Model for What Comes Next
Two months after the ruling, Colorado responded. On June 1, 2026, Governor Jared Polis signed a bill removing the statute of limitations for people harmed by a licensed provider’s conversion practices, so a lawsuit can be filed no matter how many years have passed. The law also lets families sue clinics that supervised the provider, and defines the practice narrowly enough to survive the First Amendment concerns raised in Chiles. California, Maryland, and Illinois are weighing similar bills. See conversion therapy laws by state for where your state currently stands.
What This Means for Your Family
None of this changes what Christian families already know: there is no credible evidence that conversion therapy works, and the documented risks of conversion therapy are real. What has changed is which legal tool protects families best. Licensing boards can still discipline unethical conduct. Fraud and malpractice claims remain available everywhere. Parents retain full authority to seek pastoral counseling and honest conversation at home, neither of which any court has restricted. A provider who takes your money while promising to change who your child is remains accountable under the law.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does the Chiles v. Salazar ruling mean conversion therapy is now legal everywhere? No. It addressed only whether states can pre-emptively bar licensed therapists from this practice on free speech grounds. It did not legalize fraud or harm.
Can I still sue a therapist who harmed my child through these practices? Yes. Malpractice and consumer fraud claims are unaffected. Colorado’s new law, signed in June 2026, removes the deadline for filing such a lawsuit entirely.
What happened in the JONAH case? A New Jersey jury found in 2015 that JONAH committed consumer fraud by promising results it could not deliver, and the court permanently shut the group down.
Are licensing boards still able to discipline conversion therapy providers? Yes. Boards retain full authority to investigate and discipline mental health professionals for harmful conduct, regardless of how courts rule on speech.
Does any of this affect pastoral counseling at home? No. Every case and law discussed here applies only to licensed professionals in a clinical capacity. Parents, pastors, and faith communities have never been restricted by these laws.
Sources and Further Reading
NPR: The Supreme Court struck down a ban on conversion therapy in Colorado
National Center for Lesbian Rights: Supreme Court Rules Colorado Conversion Therapy Ban Likely Violates First Amendment, But Leaves Malpractice and Other Legal Claims Intact
National Center for Lesbian Rights: Settlement in Consumer Fraud Lawsuit Against Therapist for Conversion Therapy
Southern Poverty Law Center: SPLC Suit Forces New Jersey Group to Cease Bogus Conversion Therapy Program, Pay Damages
CT4F: Chiles v. Salazar Ruling Explained -- CT4F’s plain-language breakdown of the Supreme Court decision and what it means for families.
CT4F: Conversion Therapy Laws by State -- A state-by-state guide to where restrictions on licensed providers currently stand.
CT4F: Mental Health Research on Conversion Therapy -- CT4F’s summary of the peer-reviewed research documenting the harms of these practices.
Recent posts
What Happens When "Conversion Therapy" Providers Break the Law? Real Cases Christian Families Should Know
State licensing boards still have full authority to discipline providers for harmful conduct, no matter how courts rule on speech.
Quick Takeaways
In Chiles v. Salazar (March 2026), the Supreme Court ruled 8 to 1 that Colorado’s ban on licensed talk therapy conversion efforts likely violates free speech protections, but left malpractice and consumer fraud claims intact.
In 2015, a New Jersey jury found the group JONAH liable for consumer fraud, permanently shutting it down and ordering it to pay damages to families it misled.
A California-licensed therapist settled a consumer fraud lawsuit after a client paid him more than $70,000 over eight years based on the false claim that her attractions could be changed.
In June 2026, Colorado signed a law letting people harmed by these practices sue their providers at any time, with no statute of limitations.
State licensing boards still have full authority to discipline providers for harmful conduct, no matter how courts rule on speech.
What the Supreme Court Actually Decided, and Didn’t
In March 2026, the Supreme Court ruled in Chiles v. Salazar that Colorado’s law barring licensed therapists from conversion therapy on minors likely violates the First Amendment as applied to talk therapy. The 8-to-1 decision, written by Justice Neil Gorsuch, sided with therapist Kaley Chiles. Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson was the only dissenter.
The ruling addressed one tool: a state’s pre-emptive ban on a licensed provider’s speech. It did not broadly declare conversion therapy safe or legal. The National Center for Lesbian Rights notes the opinion states plainly that “a traditional malpractice action” remains untouched, and every major medical organization’s opposition to these practices is unaffected. Read CT4F’s breakdown of the Chiles v. Salazar ruling for the fuller picture.
When Courts Have Already Called It Fraud
In 2015, a New Jersey jury found JONAH, Jews Offering New Alternatives for Healing, liable for consumer fraud after promising it could change clients’ attractions. The judge excluded the group’s own expert witnesses, ruling there was no factual basis for the “success statistics” it advertised. JONAH was ordered to pay damages and permanently shut down.
California-licensed therapist Lloyd Willey settled a consumer fraud lawsuit after a former client paid him more than $70,000 over eight years, having been told her attractions were unnatural and could be changed. The case followed a California ruling affirming that conversion therapy can constitute consumer fraud, a path that does not depend on any state’s licensing ban.
Colorado’s New Law: A Model for What Comes Next
Two months after the ruling, Colorado responded. On June 1, 2026, Governor Jared Polis signed a bill removing the statute of limitations for people harmed by a licensed provider’s conversion practices, so a lawsuit can be filed no matter how many years have passed. The law also lets families sue clinics that supervised the provider, and defines the practice narrowly enough to survive the First Amendment concerns raised in Chiles. California, Maryland, and Illinois are weighing similar bills. See conversion therapy laws by state for where your state currently stands.
What This Means for Your Family
None of this changes what Christian families already know: there is no credible evidence that conversion therapy works, and the documented risks of conversion therapy are real. What has changed is which legal tool protects families best. Licensing boards can still discipline unethical conduct. Fraud and malpractice claims remain available everywhere. Parents retain full authority to seek pastoral counseling and honest conversation at home, neither of which any court has restricted. A provider who takes your money while promising to change who your child is remains accountable under the law.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does the Chiles v. Salazar ruling mean conversion therapy is now legal everywhere? No. It addressed only whether states can pre-emptively bar licensed therapists from this practice on free speech grounds. It did not legalize fraud or harm.
Can I still sue a therapist who harmed my child through these practices? Yes. Malpractice and consumer fraud claims are unaffected. Colorado’s new law, signed in June 2026, removes the deadline for filing such a lawsuit entirely.
What happened in the JONAH case? A New Jersey jury found in 2015 that JONAH committed consumer fraud by promising results it could not deliver, and the court permanently shut the group down.
Are licensing boards still able to discipline conversion therapy providers? Yes. Boards retain full authority to investigate and discipline mental health professionals for harmful conduct, regardless of how courts rule on speech.
Does any of this affect pastoral counseling at home? No. Every case and law discussed here applies only to licensed professionals in a clinical capacity. Parents, pastors, and faith communities have never been restricted by these laws.
Sources and Further Reading
NPR: The Supreme Court struck down a ban on conversion therapy in Colorado
National Center for Lesbian Rights: Supreme Court Rules Colorado Conversion Therapy Ban Likely Violates First Amendment, But Leaves Malpractice and Other Legal Claims Intact
National Center for Lesbian Rights: Settlement in Consumer Fraud Lawsuit Against Therapist for Conversion Therapy
Southern Poverty Law Center: SPLC Suit Forces New Jersey Group to Cease Bogus Conversion Therapy Program, Pay Damages
CT4F: Chiles v. Salazar Ruling Explained -- CT4F’s plain-language breakdown of the Supreme Court decision and what it means for families.
CT4F: Conversion Therapy Laws by State -- A state-by-state guide to where restrictions on licensed providers currently stand.
CT4F: Mental Health Research on Conversion Therapy -- CT4F’s summary of the peer-reviewed research documenting the harms of these practices.
Recent posts
What Happens When "Conversion Therapy" Providers Break the Law? Real Cases Christian Families Should Know
State licensing boards still have full authority to discipline providers for harmful conduct, no matter how courts rule on speech.
Quick Takeaways
In Chiles v. Salazar (March 2026), the Supreme Court ruled 8 to 1 that Colorado’s ban on licensed talk therapy conversion efforts likely violates free speech protections, but left malpractice and consumer fraud claims intact.
In 2015, a New Jersey jury found the group JONAH liable for consumer fraud, permanently shutting it down and ordering it to pay damages to families it misled.
A California-licensed therapist settled a consumer fraud lawsuit after a client paid him more than $70,000 over eight years based on the false claim that her attractions could be changed.
In June 2026, Colorado signed a law letting people harmed by these practices sue their providers at any time, with no statute of limitations.
State licensing boards still have full authority to discipline providers for harmful conduct, no matter how courts rule on speech.
What the Supreme Court Actually Decided, and Didn’t
In March 2026, the Supreme Court ruled in Chiles v. Salazar that Colorado’s law barring licensed therapists from conversion therapy on minors likely violates the First Amendment as applied to talk therapy. The 8-to-1 decision, written by Justice Neil Gorsuch, sided with therapist Kaley Chiles. Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson was the only dissenter.
The ruling addressed one tool: a state’s pre-emptive ban on a licensed provider’s speech. It did not broadly declare conversion therapy safe or legal. The National Center for Lesbian Rights notes the opinion states plainly that “a traditional malpractice action” remains untouched, and every major medical organization’s opposition to these practices is unaffected. Read CT4F’s breakdown of the Chiles v. Salazar ruling for the fuller picture.
When Courts Have Already Called It Fraud
In 2015, a New Jersey jury found JONAH, Jews Offering New Alternatives for Healing, liable for consumer fraud after promising it could change clients’ attractions. The judge excluded the group’s own expert witnesses, ruling there was no factual basis for the “success statistics” it advertised. JONAH was ordered to pay damages and permanently shut down.
California-licensed therapist Lloyd Willey settled a consumer fraud lawsuit after a former client paid him more than $70,000 over eight years, having been told her attractions were unnatural and could be changed. The case followed a California ruling affirming that conversion therapy can constitute consumer fraud, a path that does not depend on any state’s licensing ban.
Colorado’s New Law: A Model for What Comes Next
Two months after the ruling, Colorado responded. On June 1, 2026, Governor Jared Polis signed a bill removing the statute of limitations for people harmed by a licensed provider’s conversion practices, so a lawsuit can be filed no matter how many years have passed. The law also lets families sue clinics that supervised the provider, and defines the practice narrowly enough to survive the First Amendment concerns raised in Chiles. California, Maryland, and Illinois are weighing similar bills. See conversion therapy laws by state for where your state currently stands.
What This Means for Your Family
None of this changes what Christian families already know: there is no credible evidence that conversion therapy works, and the documented risks of conversion therapy are real. What has changed is which legal tool protects families best. Licensing boards can still discipline unethical conduct. Fraud and malpractice claims remain available everywhere. Parents retain full authority to seek pastoral counseling and honest conversation at home, neither of which any court has restricted. A provider who takes your money while promising to change who your child is remains accountable under the law.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does the Chiles v. Salazar ruling mean conversion therapy is now legal everywhere? No. It addressed only whether states can pre-emptively bar licensed therapists from this practice on free speech grounds. It did not legalize fraud or harm.
Can I still sue a therapist who harmed my child through these practices? Yes. Malpractice and consumer fraud claims are unaffected. Colorado’s new law, signed in June 2026, removes the deadline for filing such a lawsuit entirely.
What happened in the JONAH case? A New Jersey jury found in 2015 that JONAH committed consumer fraud by promising results it could not deliver, and the court permanently shut the group down.
Are licensing boards still able to discipline conversion therapy providers? Yes. Boards retain full authority to investigate and discipline mental health professionals for harmful conduct, regardless of how courts rule on speech.
Does any of this affect pastoral counseling at home? No. Every case and law discussed here applies only to licensed professionals in a clinical capacity. Parents, pastors, and faith communities have never been restricted by these laws.
Sources and Further Reading
NPR: The Supreme Court struck down a ban on conversion therapy in Colorado
National Center for Lesbian Rights: Supreme Court Rules Colorado Conversion Therapy Ban Likely Violates First Amendment, But Leaves Malpractice and Other Legal Claims Intact
National Center for Lesbian Rights: Settlement in Consumer Fraud Lawsuit Against Therapist for Conversion Therapy
Southern Poverty Law Center: SPLC Suit Forces New Jersey Group to Cease Bogus Conversion Therapy Program, Pay Damages
CT4F: Chiles v. Salazar Ruling Explained -- CT4F’s plain-language breakdown of the Supreme Court decision and what it means for families.
CT4F: Conversion Therapy Laws by State -- A state-by-state guide to where restrictions on licensed providers currently stand.
CT4F: Mental Health Research on Conversion Therapy -- CT4F’s summary of the peer-reviewed research documenting the harms of these practices.