Judge: Biden’s co-ed dorm mandate trumps religious freedom
A district judge rejected a challenge to the Biden administration’s order to force co-ed bathrooms and dorms on a Christian college over the school’s religious objections.
In February, the Department of Housing and Urban Development directed collegesto eliminate single-sex facilities. The directive came after President Joe Biden issued an executive order in January directing federal agencies “to combat discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity,” which would mean targeting religious institutions that maintain single-sex accommodations. The College of the Ozarks, a small Missouri Christian college, challenged the Biden administration for violating its religious rights in April.
On Wednesday, Western District of Missouri judge Roseann Ketchmark declined to temporarily halt the policy’s implementation in the face of the school’s religious objections. Alliance Defending Freedom, the religious liberty law firm arguing the case on behalf of the school, expressed dismay at the ruling and said the decision is likely to be appealed.
“Following the whims of special interest groups, lobbyists, and politicians, the administration is attempting to redefine the word ‘sex’ in federal law to mean sexual orientation and gender identity, rather than biological sex as that word has always been understood,” ADF senior counsel Ryan Bangert said. “As this case demonstrates, the administration’s twisting of words is threatening foundational liberties.”
