(Molly Bruns, Headline USA) The College of the Ozarks, a Christian education institution, is standing up to the Biden administration’s order that would mandate the allowance of biological men in female dorms.
The college, based out of Missouri, requested that the Supreme Court consider the order and argued that it violates their religious rights.
According to the College Fix, the 8th Circuit Court of Appeals rejected a petition by the college, ruling that the Biden administration could force young women to live with biological men because the school is not under threat of immediate legal action.
The Alliance Defending Freedom, which is representing the college, released a statement regarding the case.
“Young women should not be forced to share private spaces with men. That’s what this case is about – the ability of a religious school to protect its students,” Julie Blake, senior counsel at ADF, said.
The suit—filed in 2021, just after Biden took office—mainly takes issue with the redefinition of “sex” to include “sexual orientation” and “gender identity,” a loophole which allows confused young men to house themselves in the women’s dorm.
So, Christian colleges faced a choice: open up their female dorms to men, or face massive government fines.
“When government hurts you and acts illegally, you shouldn’t have to wait for the government to come after you with six-figure fines,” Blake said.
The government did not give any notice before passing the directive, shocking Christian higher education institutions across the nation.
The ADF pointed out that the lack of notification, along with many other aspects of the order, is blatantly illegal.
The lawsuit has been in and out of several different courts, and is awaiting a response from the Supreme Court.
Both college officials and the ADF are hopeful that the Supreme Court will hear the case.
“Our Constitution protects the right of faith-based institutions to operate according to their beliefs. It also protects our freedom by separating power and limiting government,” the college said in a statement regarding the suit. “And in this case the government is clearly overreaching. After all, government officials are bound by the law—and forcing religious colleges to allow male students to live in girls’ dorms clearly violates the law.”
