WATCH: Zinski v. Liberty University oral arguments
The Washington Examiner report covers Zinski v. Liberty University, a Fourth Circuit case that centers on a clash between Liberty University’s religious doctrine and allegations of anti-transgender discrimination by a former employee. Jonathan Zinski joined Liberty in February 2023 and, after a 90-day probation, announced plans to legally change his name to Ellenor and transition to identifying as a woman. He was then fired for allegedly violating the university’s doctrinal statement, which requires rejecting practices that contradict Christian teachings, including gender identity self-identification.
Liberty university argues the case could travel to the supreme Court, while Liberty Counsel’s Mat staver contends Zinski set up the university by taking hormones and falsely affirming the doctrinal statement. The American Civil Liberties Union supports Zinski, arguing that firing someone over gender identity constitutes illegal sex discrimination. The Fourth Circuit is slated to hear oral arguments, with a video of the arguments available, and the piece notes the potential for a landmark ruling on the balance between religious liberty and anti-discrimination protections.
WATCH LIVE: Zinski v. Liberty University oral arguments
Zinski v. Liberty University features a clash between Liberty University’s religious doctrine and allegations of anti-transgender discrimination from a former employee. The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit will hear oral arguments on Tuesday at 9:30 a.m. in the possibly landmark case.
Lawyers for the university say the case is likely to go all the way to the Supreme Court.
It began when Jonathan Zinski, a biological man, got a job at Liberty University, a predominantly Christian University in Lynchburg, Virginia, in February 2023. After the 90-day probationary period for new employees, Zinski told the university of a plan to legally change his name from Jonathan Zinski to Ellenor Zinski and transition to identifying as a woman.
The university fired Zinski for going against the doctrinal statement Zinski signed upon taking the job. That statement included a pledge to reject a litany of practices that contradict Christian teachings, including “denial of birth sex by self-identification with a different gender.”
Liberty Counsel’s Founder and Chairman Mat Staver, who is arguing the case for Liberty University, told Washington Examiner in an exclusive interview that new details have emerged that, in his view, prove Zinski “set up” the university.
“Jonathan Zinski clearly set up Liberty University because he was taking the female hormones, he falsely affirmed the doctrinal statement, and then when he was terminated, he got the help of the ACLU,” Staver said.
TRANSGENDER FORMER EMPLOYEE IS SUING LIBERTY UNIVERSITY OVER FIRING
Zinski filed a lawsuit supported by the American Civil Liberties Union. Wyatt Rolla, who is the ACLU-VA senior transgender rights attorney and counsel for this case, wrote in a statement to the Washington Examiner: “No matter your religious beliefs, it’s illegal sex discrimination to fire employees because of their gender identity.”
Watch the full arguments here.
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