Federal court dismisses LGBTQ students' class action discrimination suit

There is no legal remedy for LGBTQ students who claim they were discriminated against at their religious universities, an Oregon federal district court ruled in a high-profile case on January 12.

The judge dismissed the class-action lawsuit filed in March 2021 on behalf of about 40 students and former students at religious schools nationwide. The case, Hunter v. the US Department of Education, claimed that the department failed to protect LGBTQ+ students at religious schools from discrimination.

At issue is a religious exemption from Title IX, the civil rights statute that prevents discrimination on the basis of sex, sexual orientation, and gender identity. The plaintiffs argued the exemption allows religious schools to discriminate against them.