The Moody Bible Institute of Chicago has filed a lawsuit against the Board of Education of the City of Chicago, claiming the district barred their students from participating in a student-teacher program because of the college’s faith-based hiring policies.
The Alliance Defending Freedom (ADF), a non-profit legal group, filed a lawsuit on behalf of the college earlier this month in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois.
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Moody Bible Institute’s Bachelor of Arts in Elementary Education program requires prospective teachers to complete a minimum number of classroom observation, practicum and student-teaching hours.
However, the lawsuit argues that Chicago Public School officials are refusing to allow Moody students to participate in its student-teaching program unless Moody abandons its religiously based hiring practices and hires employees who disagree with Moody’s core mission and biblical values.
Chicago Public Schools have a policy that colleges and universities participating in the student-teaching program cannot “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.”
“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.
Moody requested an amendment to the policy to accommodate its religious affiliation, citing that the school district has signed agreements with Trinity Christian College and Concordia University despite those schools giving employment preference based on religion.
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“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.
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