The California Court of Appeal yesterday held that the state’s anti-discrimination laws do not forbid California Lutheran High School from using religious criteria in making admission and discipline decisions. The parents of two students sued the school because it suspended the teenage girls when they violated the school’s code of conduct by engaging in homosexual behavior.
“Christian schools should be able to make admission and discipline decisions consistent with their religious beliefs. The Court of Appeal’s decision preserves that right for Christian schools in California,” said CLS Litigation Counsel Timothy J. Tracey. “The court understood that this right would be violated if Christian schools were subjected to liability under California anti-discrimination laws for expelling students who engage in homosexual conduct.”
A copy of the opinion issued by the California Court of Appeal, Fourth Appellate District, Division Two, in Doe v. California Lutheran High School Association is available at http://www.telladf.org/UserDocs/CalLutheranOpinion.pdf ;
