US: Religious college that denied trans student housing granted discrimination law exemption
An Oregon religious college that refused to provide on-campus housing for a trans student has been granted an exemption from an anti-discrimination law.
Attorney Paul Southwick had filed a complaint on Marcus’ behalf under education anti-discrimination law Title IX, but this week told PQ Monthly that the complaint has been rejected because the school gained a ‘religious freedom’ exemption to the law.
He said: “George Fox University (GFU), without telling us, requested a religious exemption to the Title IX regulations regarding housing, restrooms and athletics as they apply to transgender students.
“GFU requested this exemption from the US Department of Education (ED) a mere three days before denying Jayce’s final appeal to the university and a mere four days before Jayce filed his complaint with the ED.
“The ED granted the request for the religious exemption with surprising speed – only two months, rather than the years it has taken historically to get an exemption. Based on the exemption, the ED closed Jayce’s complaint. ”
Southwick added: “We are going to appeal the ED’s ruling.”
Barack Obama claimed last month: “The fact that we are applying [Title IX] to transgender students means that they are going to be in a position to assert their rights if and when they see that they are being discriminated [against] on their college campuses, and that could manifest itself in a whole variety of ways.”
