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The Cardinal Newman Society has signed an amicus brief in a Christian university’s religious liberty lawsuit, defending the right of religious schools to employ individuals who align with their beliefs.
The case, Zinski v. Liberty University, is currently before the Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals.
The Cardinal Newman Society announced in an email that it is supporting Liberty University, a Christian school in Lynchburg, Virginia, that fired an employee named Jonathan Zinski in 2023 after Zinski revealed that he identified as a woman, had been taking female hormones, and planned to legally change his name.
CatholicVote previously reported that Liberty University does not hire individuals who do not agree with its publicly stated core religious beliefs, which condemn identifying with a sex different from a person’s actual sex.
Zinski, who now goes by Ellenor, sued in 2024 and claimed that the university wrongfully terminated his employment based on his gender identity. Liberty University argues that because it is a religious educational institution, the Civil Rights Act guarantees it the right to choose employees based on their alignment with Christianity.
According to the Cardinal Newman Society, the case is crucial for religious higher education institutions moving forward.
“If Zinski and the ACLU get away with it, you can be sure faithful Catholic schools and colleges will be targeted next,” the society stated in its email, adding, “This case is important in our fight to protect the religious freedom of Catholic colleges in their hiring practices.”
