Moody Bible sues Chicago schools for religious discrimination

The Chicago Board of Public Education is barring Christian students from receiving necessary student-teacher classroom experiences, argues a new lawsuit from The Moody Bible Institute.

“No student should lose out on opportunities that are available to everyone else just because they attend a religious school,” Alliance Defending Freedom Senior Counsel Jeremiah Galus, representing Moody, tells The Lion in an interview.

“And we believe that the First Amendment speaks very clearly to that issue. And just like Christian students shouldn’t be forced to give up opportunities for following their faith, a Christian school shouldn’t be forced to choose between its faith and advancing educational opportunities for its students.”

Galus says Chicago Public Schools’ (CPS) exclusion of Moody students from student teaching in elementary schools violates the First Amendment, is “blatantly unconstitutional” and is contrary to U.S. Supreme Court rulings on religious freedom.   

“If the First Amendment means anything, it means that religious institutions and religious people have the same rights as everybody else,” he says. 

The case, filed in Illinois federal court, seeks the protection of Moody’s rights to hire staff according to its pronounced Christian beliefs.  

“Chicago Public Schools has prevented Moody Bible Institute from participating in its student teaching program unless it gives up its right to hire like-minded individuals who share and live out its religious beliefs and mission to spread the gospel of Jesus Christ,” Alliance Defending Freedom says in a press release.  

Moody President Mark Jobe said CPS’s actions unlawfully force Moody to choose between its Christian beliefs and providing quality education to students – the two primary missions of the school. 

“Moody Bible Institute should not be forced to choose between our faith and helping students advance in their educational opportunities,” Jobe said in a statement provided to The Lion. 

“We are grateful for the work of Alliance Defending Freedom as we are put into the position of having to defend our constitutional right to hire like-minded staff and faculty who live out our biblical beliefs and mission.” 

Moody Bible Institute, founded in 1886, seeks to “equip people to be biblically grounded, practically trained, and to engage the world through gospel-centered living,” according to its mission statement. 

In step with its mission, Moody clearly states its Christian beliefs and promises to hire faculty and staff who agree with those principles.  

Moody offers an elementary education degree, which is accredited by the Association of Christian Schools International, that certifies graduates to teach in Christian schools worldwide, according to the lawsuit. Graduates who wish to teach in public schools, however, must qualify for a Professional Education License.  

As part of the requirements to merit a Professional Education License under Illinois law, all students pursuing an elementary education degree must complete a “semester of student teaching and fulfill a certain number of “classroom-observation, practicum, and student-teaching hours,” according to the suit.  

The Illinois State Board of Education approved Moody’s Elementary Education degree program in January 2024. The Chicago Board of Education, however, has prohibited Moody students from participating in its student teaching program unless Moody agrees to hire employees “who disagree with Moody’s core mission and biblical values,” the ADF press release explains.  

“What Moody does with its own hiring practices has no relevance to the student teaching program,” Galus said.  

CPS’s exclusion violates not only the First Amendment protection of religious freedom but also the anti-discrimination phrase of the Fourteenth Amendment and the Illinois Religious Freedom Restoration Act, the lawsuit argues. 

While claiming to “uphold our commitment to maintaining a safe and inclusive learning and working environment for all individuals,” CPS told Moody it must sign two agreements that would prohibit Moody from hiring according to its religious beliefs and “standards of Christian conduct.”  

Moody requested an amendment to the policy to accommodate its religious affiliations, citing how officials approved other Christian schools in Chicago, including Trinity Christian College and Concordia University of Chicago.  

“By allowing these other colleges and universities to participate in the Program, Chicago Public Schools demonstrates that it selectively enforces its employment nondiscrimination policy,” the lawsuit notes.  

While Moody could direct its students to outlying Christian schools for teacher training, the lawsuit explains, such schools are “significantly less desirable” given their distance from downtown and lack of access to public transportation. 

CPS’s discrimination not only harms current students in the program but also could potentially dissuade prospective students from attending Moody, the suit warns.  

Additionally, Chicago public schools face “hundreds of vacancies,” and yet the Board of Education prohibits qualified, hard-working Moody students from attaining such positions, the press release points out.  

“By barring Moody and its students from participation, the Board not only violates their constitutional and statutory rights but also deprives its own schools and students of well-prepared and qualified student teachers,” the suit states.  

Galus said Moody students are “more than qualified” to participate in the student-teaching program, and the board’s conduct harms both Moody and the city.  

“Chicago desperately needs more teachers to fill hundreds of vacancies, but public school administrators are putting personal agendas ahead of the needs of families,” Galus said in the release. 

“By excluding Moody for its religious beliefs, Chicago Public Schools is illegally injecting itself into a religious non-profit’s hiring practices, which the Constitution and state laws expressly forbid.” 

ADF hopes CPS acknowledges its error and quickly resolves the issue, but that ADF will defend Moody through any legal battle, Galus said. 

Meanwhile, Jobe said Moody will continue operating according to its history and beliefs.  

“As we defend our rights, we are committed to continuing to provide our students the biblical foundation, practical training, and relevant skills and experience to be fully prepared to serve in their calling upon graduation,” he said.