SACRAMENTO, Calif. – A Inglewood, California pastor recently traveled to Sacramento to voice opposition to legislation that would force religious schools to cater to transgender students, and the response he received from one public servant was jaw-dropping.

Faithful Central Bible Church pastor Marc T. Little was among several clergy from throughout the state who attended hearings on SB 1146 last week, and Little left letters with state assemblyman outlining why he opposes the measure, Urban Family Talk reports.

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The bill, sponsored by Democratic state Sen. Ricardo Lara, would have forced religious schools to allow transgender students to use school facilities consistent with their gender identity, rather than their biological sex, or face the potential loss of student education grants.

Little wrote:

While I am encouraged by Senator Lara’s recent move to amend the bill removing the significant components I objected to, I remain opposed to any bill that flirts with removing the exemptions afforded to religious institutions to the exercise of their faith. It is my firm belief that any legislation that diminishes religious freedom … is unconstitutional and cannot be supported by our legislators no matter how watered down the bill and no matter how placated the opponents to SB 1146 may be for the moment.

Moreover, SB 1146, in its prior form, disproportionately impacted minority students. As a resident in State Assembly District 51 and (Jimmy Gomez) and State Senate District 24 (Kevin De Leon), and as a ministry leader and president of the Inglewood Airport Chamber of Commerce both located in State Assembly District 62 (Autumn Burke) and State Senate District 35 (Isadore Hall) I take great exception that no one from the Black Caucus or the Appropriations Committee has spoken out to protect the rights of … more than 16,000 students, many of whom are black and Hispanic students, rely on Cal Grants and who desire … training from a religious institution without interference from this legislative body. These students demand protecting and we serve many of them in our work in the very school we have on our own church campus.

Additionally, this is an attempt to choose one group, perceived to be discriminated against, over a 300-year history in the U.S. without any demonstrable evidence of any discrimination. Accordingly, the entire effort is a mockery of fairness and legislative integrity. Private institutions can and do provide information to the state already; a state mandate intended to protect a certain class is an overreach.

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Little, who is also an attorney, closed his letter by noting that he and other pastors are “watching and praying that this legislative body will not test our resolve in the future to preserve our freedom to exercise our religious beliefs in our schools, universities and in our churches.”

The letter prompted an ugly reaction from Assemblyman Reginald Jones-Sawyer’s chief of staff, Joey Hill, which was left on Little’s voicemail and later posted online.

“Yes, this message is for pastor Marc Little. I don’t know how you can call yourself a pastor after you write this ridiculously hateful letter. And you have the nerve to cite history. You’re just either stupid, ignorant or evil. Three-hundred year history? Well, what if I make an analogy to slavery? What’s wrong with you?” Hill said in the message. “You want to cite Leviticus? Man read your Bible all over again man, and find some love in your f***ing heart you (expletive) (expletive).”

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Little responded to the voicemail in an audio recording posted on Urban Family Talk and Black Community News.

Hill “left me a very vile voicemail, the kind of which I would have never expected from a public servant,” Little said. “I’m dismayed and shocked and I am calling for an apology from assembly member Jones-Sawyer, and for the immediate resignation of Mr. Hill.”

“No one should ever be subjected to such disrespect by the staff of a public official no matter the disagreement,” he said.

Urban Family Talk also opined on the situation.

“The Christian community must understand the stakes are high and that the liberal progressive agenda wills stop at nothing to restrict religious freedoms in California and throughout the nation,” according to the news site. “The goal is to disempower the church and drive it underground. For a state assemblyman’s chief of staff to feel so emboldened as to literally call a pastor and curse him shows the arrogance exhibited in their feeling that there will be little push back from the church.”

Black Community News reports Sen. Ricardo Lara backtracked on the bill because of the backlash.