Evangelical college sued by former female instructor for “complementarian” sex discrimination

by Karen Faulkner, Worthy News Correspondent

(Worthy News) – The Moody Bible Institute in Chicago has asked a federal court of appeals to dismiss a discrimination suit filed against it by a female instructor whose contract was not renewed after she advocated against the college’s position that only men can be ordained for ministry, the Washington Times reports. Oral arguments in the case are expected to be heard at the end of this year or early next year.

The matter arose in 2017 when plaintiff Janay E. Garrick was told she was no longer a “good fit” at Moody because her position on women in ministry was “different” than that of the school’s, the Times said. Despite having signed her agreement with Moody’s “complementarian” doctrine upon being hired, Ms Garrick began to advocate against it about a year later.

Having been told her contract would not be renewed, Ms. Garrick first complained to the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission alleging “unlawful retaliation” and sexual and religious discrimination, and then filed suit against the school in 2018, the Times said. The district court of first instance ruled in Ms Garrick’s favor, deciding that her complaint on the grounds of sex discrimination could proceed without the need for a ruling on Moody’s doctrine.

Moody is now asking the Seventh Circuit Court of Appeals to dismiss Ms. Garrick’s case on the grounds that, as a religious college, the institute has the right to hire in accordance with its doctrinal beliefs.

Representing the school, Daniel Blomberg, a senior counsel at the Becket Fund for Religious Liberty, told the Times that his client should win the case.

“Every faculty member at Moody was expected to share the core religious beliefs of the ministry,” Mr. Blomberg told the Times. “This isn’t just a liberal arts college that’s religious. It’s a school that exists to prepare students for ministry. You can just look all around the country and people are disagreeing on questions about religious leadership and gender roles in the ministry. The issue is when you try to employ the federal courts to get leverage in those disputes. That’s what the problem is.”

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