The Chicago Board of Education has reached a settlement with a Christian college after excluding the college’s education majors from its student-teaching program because of the college’s religious beliefs.
The settlement modifies the Chicago Public Schools (CPS) internship agreement with student teachers to acknowledge that CPS cannot ban The Moody Bible Institute of Chicago from its program because of the college’s religiously motivated hiring practices, according to a press release from Alliance Defending Freedom (ADF), the legal nonprofit representing the college.
As Zeale News previously reported, Moody sued CPS in November after the district said that it could not partner with student teachers from colleges that “discriminate against any individual with respect to compensation, or other terms, conditions, or privileges of employment, because of . . . religion, . . . gender identity/expression, [or] sexual orientation,” according to ADF. Moody requires each of its employees to support “its mission of spreading the gospel” and uphold biblical beliefs on marriage and sexuality.
CPS had said it would exclude Moody from its teaching program until the college changed its hiring practices. However, the school argued that it has a right to hire like-minded individuals and sued CPS for religious discrimination.
According to ADF, CPS has now listed Moody on its website as an approved university partner.
In the release, Moody Provost Tim Sisk said that the college is “deeply grateful” for the settlement, which he said affirms the school’s “constitutional right to hire individuals who are aligned with our core mission and biblical values.”
ADF Senior Counsel Jeremiah Galus added that the case will ideally serve as an example for other entities that religious freedom must be protected.
He said, “We’re hopeful other public officials will take note that they can’t inject themselves illegally and unconstitutionally into a religious non-profit’s hiring practices.”