A transgender former employee of Liberty University can proceed with her claims that the school discriminated against her when she was fired after disclosing her transition.
Although Title VII contains exemptions for religious institutions like Liberty to discriminate in hiring decisions based on an employee’s religious beliefs, “a religious institution engages in sex discrimination when firing someone for their transgender status, even if that decision is motivated by religion,” Judge Norman K. Moon of the US District Court for the Western District of Virginia wrote in a Feb. 21 opinion.