Moody Bible Institute Sues Chicago Board of Education Over Religious Discrimination in Teacher Training Program

Key Facts

Published: November 5, 2025 Location: Chicago Source: Alliance Defending Freedom, Wire Services

• Moody Bible Institute files federal lawsuit against the Chicago Board of Education for alleged religious discrimination
• CPS denied Moody’s participation in its student-teaching program due to the college’s biblical hiring policies
• Alliance Defending Freedom argues the decision violates Moody’s First Amendment rights
• Moody officials say exclusion harms students, reputation, and worsens teacher shortages

by Emmitt Barry, with reporting from Washington D.C. Bureau Staff

CHICAGO (Worthy News) – Moody Bible Institute has filed a federal lawsuit against the Chicago Board of Education, accusing the city’s public school system of religious discrimination for barring Moody students from participating in its student-teaching program.

The lawsuit, filed Tuesday in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois by attorneys with Alliance Defending Freedom (ADF), argues that Chicago Public Schools (CPS) violated Moody’s constitutional rights by demanding that the evangelical college abandon its faith-based hiring policies.

Moody, founded in 1886 by evangelist Dwight L. Moody, maintains that it hires faculty and staff who live out its biblical values — including its beliefs on marriage and sexuality — as part of its Christian mission. The Illinois State Board of Education approved Moody’s Elementary Education degree program in January 2024, opening the door for students to complete required classroom and student-teaching hours within public schools.

However, CPS denied the college’s participation, citing its policy that participating institutions may not “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.”

“Chicago desperately needs more teachers to fill hundreds of vacancies, but public school administrators are putting personal agendas ahead of the needs of families,” said ADF Senior Counsel Jeremiah Galus. “By excluding Moody for its religious beliefs, Chicago Public Schools is illegally injecting itself into a religious nonprofit’s hiring practices, which the Constitution and state laws expressly forbid.”

Moody officials say the denial unfairly punishes its students, forcing them to seek placements elsewhere while diminishing the reputation of its education program. The college contends that CPS has applied its policies inconsistently, pointing out that other Christian schools have been allowed to participate.

“Moody Bible Institute should not be forced to choose between our faith and helping students advance in their educational opportunities,” said Moody President Mark Jobe.

ADF attorneys note that recent Supreme Court rulings—such as Trinity Lutheran Church v. Comer (2017), Espinoza v. Montana Department of Revenue (2020), and Carson v. Makin (2022) — affirm that faith-based organizations cannot be excluded from public programs solely because of their religious identity.

“This isn’t new law,” said Ryan Tucker, senior counsel at ADF. “But surprisingly, Chicago Public Schools is insisting that the school lay down its First Amendment protections.”

Moody’s provost, Tim Sisk, emphasized that the dispute impacts not only Moody students but also Chicago’s schools. “There is a need each year for qualified teachers in the Chicago public school system, and many of these roles are filled by those who participated in the program,” he said.

The college says it attempted to reach a compromise with CPS before resorting to legal action, but district officials refused. The lawsuit seeks equal access to CPS’s student-teaching program and damages for what Moody calls “constitutional injuries.”

CPS did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

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