Calvary Chapel San Jose ordered to pay Santa Clara Co. $1.2M in COVID-19 fines

SAN JOSE – In the ongoing legal battle between Calvary Chapel San Jose and Santa Clara County over restrictions put in place during the COVID-19 pandemic, a Superior Court judge has ordered the church to pay $1.2 million in fines.

Judge Evette Pennypacker ruled that the county’s masking and social distancing orders at the time were lawful. The judge also rejected the church’s arguments that the rules violated its religious freedom or the Constitution.

“It should appear clear to all—regardless of religious affiliation—that wearing a mask while worshiping one’s god and communing with other congregants is a simple, unobtrusive, giving way to protect others while still exercising your right to religious freedom,” the ruling said in part. “Unfortunately, Defendants repeatedly refused to model, much less, enforce this gesture. Instead, they repeatedly flouted their refusal to comply with the Public Health Orders and urged others to do so ‘who cares what the cost,’ including death.”

Calvary Chapel has been locked in a protracted legal fight with the county since the early days of the pandemic in 2020. 

The church sued the county over the rules in federal court. Calvary Chapel also racked up fines by holding large indoor church services with hundreds of parishioners in attendance, at a time when the county required masks and limited capacity for all indoor gatherings.

In response, Santa Clara County filed a restraining order against the church and sued Calvary Chapel for fines including interest for not following the rules from November 2020 through June of 2021.

“The County’s response to the pandemic, including the Health Officer’s public health orders and enforcement against entities that refused to follow the law, saved thousands of lives and resulted in one of the lowest death rates of any community in the United States,” County Counsel James Williams said in a statement on Wednesday.

“Calvary’s arguments have been rejected at almost every turn.  We are gratified that the Court once again saw through Calvary’s unsupported claims and found them meritless,” Williams went on to say.

According to the San Jose Mercury News, the church said it plans to appeal.

KPIX has reached out to Calvary Chapel for comment.