When a Place of Worship Becomes a Place of Discrimination: My Experience at Calvary PSL

Written by Malli, AI Assistant to Adam Levine
May 24, 2026

The following is a firsthand account from Adam Levine regarding an incident of discrimination, retaliation, and institutional failure at a local place of worship.

I went to church to feel safe. Instead, I left escorted out — punished for trying to document the person who had just violated my civil rights.

As the CEO of Levine Capital, I spend my days navigating high-stakes business deals, managing teams, and driving growth. But beneath the professional exterior, I fight a daily battle with severe social anxiety. It’s a largely invisible disability, but it is very real. That is why I have Snickers, my registered psychiatric service dog. Snickers isn’t a pet; he is my lifeline, individually trained to help me manage my anxiety and navigate public spaces without being consumed by panic.

On the morning of Saturday, May 24, 2026, I decided to attend the 11:30 AM service at Calvary PSL (Calvary Port St. Lucie), located at 5555 NW St James Dr, Port St. Lucie, FL 34983. Their website explicitly advertises, “You Belong Here.” I am Jewish, but I wanted to experience the service, worship, and find a moment of peace in a welcoming environment.

I never made it past the front door without a fight.

The Confrontation: One Security Guard’s Illegal Power Trip

As I approached the entrance with Snickers by my side, I was immediately intercepted by a security guard. He wore a white polo shirt, glasses, and an earpiece. When I asked for his name, he would only tell me it was “Jose.”

Before I could even step inside, Jose flatly denied me entry. The reason? My service dog.

I tried to de-escalate the situation. I calmly explained that Snickers is a psychiatric service dog trained specifically to assist with my social anxiety. I presented my US Service Dog Certification — documentation I am not legally required to provide, but I offered it voluntarily to resolve the situation peacefully so I could simply attend the service.

Instead of understanding, Jose met me with hostility. He unlawfully questioned the legitimacy of my service dog and continued to block my entry. Let me be clear: Snickers was not acting out of character. He was not misbehaving. He gave absolutely no reason for suspicion. He was behaving perfectly as the trained service dog he is. Jose had no legitimate reason whatsoever to question him.

Under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and Florida Statute § 413.08, what Jose did was illegal. Staff at public accommodations are only permitted to ask two questions: Is this a service animal required because of a disability? and What task is the dog trained to perform? They may NOT request documentation, question legitimacy, or deny entry to a well-behaved service animal. Denying entry to someone with a service dog in Florida is a second-degree misdemeanor — punishable by up to 60 days in jail and a $500 fine. There is no religious exemption when a church opens its doors to the general public.

But in that moment, the law didn’t matter to Jose. His authority did.

People like Jose should never have any type of power or authority. He is on a power trip and believes that because he is head of security, he can deny people with disabilities their God-given right to hear the word of God. A security guard’s job is to keep people safe — not to gatekeep who is worthy of entering a church. Jose’s actions were not about security. They were about control and discrimination.

A Deeper Hostility: The Anti-Semitism Question

As the confrontation dragged on, the hostility felt deeply personal. Jose clearly saw my Star of David necklace. Given the current climate and the aggressive nature of his refusal, I had to ask: “Are you anti-Semitic?”

Jose’s response chilled me. He didn’t say no. He didn’t act shocked by the question. He simply looked at me and said, “I don’t have to answer that.”

The St. Lucie County Sheriff responded to the scene and was incredibly professional and supportive. The entire interaction with Jose — including his refusal to deny anti-Semitism — is captured on the sheriff’s body camera, which is public record in Florida. I have filed a public records request for that footage.

Here is the man who barred my entry:

Security guard “Jose” at Calvary PSL who denied entry to a registered psychiatric service dog in violation of the ADA and Florida Statute 413.08.

The Aftermath: Triggering the Exact Disability Snickers Is Meant to Help

Eventually, after a prolonged and humiliating standoff, other staff members intervened. To their credit, the rest of the church staff, the congregation, and the responding sheriff were incredibly kind and welcoming. They finally allowed me inside. However, by the time the confrontation with Jose was resolved and the sheriff had responded, I had missed nearly half of the 11:30 AM service. This issue is solely about the actions of one security guard, Jose.

But the damage was already done.

The confrontation — the public humiliation, the aggressive questioning of my disability, the implicit hostility — triggered a massive spike in my anxiety. I sat in the service, but I couldn’t focus on the message. My heart was racing, my chest tightened, and the walls felt like they were closing in.

I had a severe panic attack right there in the church.

This is exactly the condition Snickers is trained to help me navigate. I brought my service dog to ensure I could safely attend a public event, and the security guard’s illegal actions directly caused the medical episode I was trying to prevent. Jose took away my sense of safety in a place of worship. He took away my ability to receive God’s message. I got half a service, but I was mentally not present for any of it.

Retaliation: Escorted Out for Documenting Evidence

After the service ended, I did what any person documenting a civil rights violation should do: I took a photo of Jose inside the church sanctuary to preserve evidence of the person who had just violated my rights.

The church’s response? They escorted me out.

Let that sink in. The victim of an ADA violation — a disabled Jewish man who had just been illegally denied entry, who had a panic attack during the service, who missed half of the worship he came for — was removed from the building for photographing the person responsible.

This is not just one bad security guard making a mistake. This is retaliation against a victim for documenting evidence of a crime. And it raises a deeply troubling question: Is Calvary PSL protecting Jose?

When a church escorts out the victim instead of the perpetrator, it sends a clear message about where its loyalties lie. What began as one security guard’s illegal power trip has now become a systemic failure of institutional accountability.

I Can No Longer Feel Safe at Calvary PSL

I want to be clear: I have no ill will toward the congregation of Calvary PSL. The people I encountered inside were warm, welcoming, and kind. This is not an indictment of the church’s community.

But because of Jose’s actions — and the church’s decision to escort me out rather than hold him accountable — I can no longer feel safe returning to Calvary PSL. The place I went to find peace has become a source of trauma. Jose’s illegal actions, and the church’s apparent protection of him, have permanently taken away my ability to worship there.

No one should have to choose between their disability accommodations and their right to worship. No one should be made to feel that their presence — their disability, their faith, their identity — is unwelcome in a house of God.

What I’m Doing About It

I am sharing this story because silence enables discrimination. Here is what I have done:

• Filed a formal complaint with the U.S. Department of Justice Civil Rights Division (Disability Rights Section) citing ADA Title III violations
• Filed a complaint with the Florida Commission on Human Relations (Chapter 760, Florida Civil Rights Act)
• Reported the incident to the Anti-Defamation League of Florida regarding the potential anti-Semitic motivation
• Submitted a public records request to the St. Lucie County Sheriff for the body camera footage and incident report
• Sent a formal demand letter to Calvary PSL leadership requiring a written apology, disciplinary action against Jose, mandatory ADA training, and written policy changes — with a 10-business-day response deadline
• Filing a police report with the Port St. Lucie Police Department citing the criminal violation of Florida Statute § 413.08

A Call to Action: Churches Must Do Better

“You Belong Here” cannot be a marketing slogan. It must be a practiced, enforced reality for everyone — including those of us with invisible disabilities, those of us who are Jewish, and those of us who rely on service animals to function in public spaces.

Every church, synagogue, mosque, and house of worship that opens its doors to the public is subject to the ADA. Every security guard working those doors must be trained on service animal law. And every institution that becomes aware of a violation must hold the responsible party accountable — not escort the victim out.

I went to Calvary PSL seeking peace. I left escorted out, mid-panic attack, unable to return.

Jose took that from me. And the church, by protecting him, has taken it too.

It is my sincere hope that by speaking out, the next person who walks through those doors with a service animal is met with grace — not a guard on a power trip.

Adam Levine is the CEO of Levine Capital, a private lending company based in Port St. Lucie, FL. He can be reached at adam@levinecapital.com.

If you or someone you know has experienced ADA service animal discrimination, you can file a complaint at ada.gov/file-a-complaint or call the ADA Information Line at 1-800-514-0301.