The Roys Report Citizen Journalist Sued by Apologia Church Fights Back
17 snips
Jan 27, 2026 Sarah Young, founder of Check My Church and a citizen journalist who investigates church misconduct, is fighting a defamation/anti‑SLAPP legal case brought by Apologia Church. She discusses how lawsuits can intimidate critics. Conversations cover anti‑SLAPP motions, her reporting process, the Apologia timeline, evidence sources, legal strategy, and the role of independent reporting in church accountability.
AI Snips
Chapters
Books
Transcript
Episode notes
SLAPPs Aim To Silence Critics
- Strategic lawsuits (SLAPPs) are often used to intimidate survivors, whistleblowers, and journalists rather than to address real legal harms.
- Courts and anti‑SLAPP protections can and do push back against these intimidation tactics when defendants follow proper procedure.
Julie Roys' Harvest Bible Chapel Lawsuit
- Julie recalled being sued pre-publication by Harvest Bible Chapel and facing a temporary restraining order.
- The court threw out the TR0 and Harvest later dropped the suit and paid legal fees.
Origin Of Check My Church
- Sarah Young described founding Check My Church to let people vet churches before joining.
- The site began with church checks and pivoted toward publishing whistleblower allegations over time.
