Moody Bible Institute Sues Chicago Public Schools Over Teaching Program
The Moody Bible Institute of Chicago has filed a lawsuit against the Board of Education of the City of Chicago because its students have been excluded from the Chicago Public Schools student-teaching program.
The civil rights lawsuit, filed in the United States District Court for the Northern District of Illinois, claims the Chicago Board of Education is discriminating against Moody’s students because Moody hires staff members who agree with its religious beliefs.
“As a condition of participation, Chicago Public Schools insists that Moody sign agreements with employment nondiscrimination provisions that forbid Moody from employing only those who share and live out its faith,” the lawsuit claims.
As part of its “vendor” and “student internship” agreements, Chicago Public School requires that Moody not discriminate in employment based on sexual orientation or gender identity.
Moody offered to sign an amended agreement with a provision that would “recognize Moody is afforded certain exemptions and protections regarding nondiscrimination laws.”
Moody is basing its claims on the First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution and the Illinois Religious Freedom Restoration Act.
For support of its claims, Moody cites Trinity Lutheran Church of Columbia v. Comer, a Supreme Court decision from 2017 that found the free exercise rights of the church were violated when it was denied an otherwise available public benefit because of its religious beliefs.
Additionally, Moody argues that other religious colleges – Trinity Christian College and Concordia University Chicago — are granted access to the student teaching program, even though they have hiring practices similar to Moody’s.
“By allowing these other colleges and universities to participate in the Program, Chicago Public Schools demonstrates that it selectively enforces its employment nondiscrimination policy,” Moody argues.
The lawsuit also points out that Chicago has a hard time filling its vacant teaching positions each year, so not only is the Board of Education discriminating against Moody’s students but is depriving Chicago students with “well-prepared and qualified student teachers.”
Chicago Public Schools has over 600 schools and more than 325,000 students.
The Alliance Defending Freedom, a nonprofit public interest law firm, is representing Moody in the lawsuit.
“Moody holds its faculty and students to high standards of excellence and is more than qualified to participate in Chicago’s student-teaching program. By excluding Moody for its religious beliefs, Chicago Public Schools is illegally injecting itself into a religious non-profit’s hiring practices, which the Constitution and state laws expressly forbid,” ADF Senior Counsel Jeremiah Galus said in a press release.
Moody is asking the court for a declaratory judgment that the Chicago Public Schools’ exclusion of Moody students from the district’s teaching internship program is a violation of the First Amendment and the Illinois Religious Freedom Restoration Act.
It is also seeking an injunction to prevent Chicago Public Schools from excluding Moody students from the teaching program.
This article was originally published by MinistryWatch
Kim Roberts is a freelance writer who holds a Juris Doctorate with honors from Baylor University and an undergraduate degree in government from Angelo State University. She has three young adult children who were home schooled and is happily married to her husband of 28 years.