College of the Ozarks is a private Christian school. Shouldn’t they be allowed to set their own policy on this issue?
Campus Reform reports:
Christian college loses plea to keep men out of women’s dormsThe United States Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit ruled against the College of the Ozarks’s (CofO) lawsuit against the Biden administration’s directive that universities permit student housing based on gender identity.The court ruled against the Christian college in Point Lookout, Missouri, on July 27. CofO filed the suit in 2021.CofO challenged the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) after a memo was issued in Feb. 2021 that prohibited discrimination of “gender identity or sexual orientation” under the Fair Housing Act.Alliance Defending Freedom (ADF), which represented the college, alleged that the order violated religious liberty by forcing religious schools to open “their dormitories, including dorm rooms and shared shower spaces, to members of the opposite sex.”The appellate court, however, upheld a lower ruling to toss the case on the basis that the college lacked sufficient standing to sue.“The district court ruled that the College lacked standing to establish a case or controversy and dismissed the action for lack of jurisdiction,” the July 27 ruling stated. “The College appeals, and we affirm.”According to a statement provided to Campus Reform by ADF Senior Counsel Matt Bowman, ADF is “considering all legal options.”“While we are disappointed about the decision, we will continue to advocate for College of the Ozark’s freedom to operate and educate students consistent with its faith-based mission. And College of the Ozarks will continue to follow that mission and serve its students well,” Bowman’s statement read.The HUD directive came as a result of a 2021 executive order that standardized protection for the LGBT community. The order ruled that federal regulations including Title IX and the Federal Housing Act must include transgender and gay individuals under sex-based discrimination.The order, one of the first of the Biden White House, was built atop the Supreme Court case Bostock v. Clayton County, which expanded the Civil Rights Act of 1964 to include sexual orientation and gender identity.CofO’s self-described mission is to “develop citizens of Christlike character who are well-educated, hard-working, and patriotic.”
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