Judge rules in favor of Christian Employers Alliance in Title IX case

The U.S. District Court for the District of North Dakota on Monday ruled that religious healthcare providers and employers were exempt from performing and paying for transgender procedures. The Alliance Defending Freedom represented the Christian Employers Alliance against the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission.

Who is the Christian Employers Alliance? The organization says it is, “driven by the purpose of courageously defending the freedoms of Christian business owners.” It says it “stands in as the client” for Christian businesses challenging laws that abridge their religious freedoms.

So what did the judge decide, exactly? In a summary judgment, Judge Daniel M. Traynor noted that while Title IX does protect against discrimination on the basis of sex, he ruled that it doesn’t apply to religious institutions if it would require them to go against their religious beliefs. He also noted that forcing Christian employers to pay for their employees’ transgender surgeries would abridge their right to freedom of religion under the Religious Freedom Restoration Act.

Dig deeper: Read Liz Lykins’ report in Liberties about a court in Maine refusing to hear challenges to a law promoting religious discrimination.