**An Unprecedented Fight: a Christian College Takes on the Biden Administration to Protect its Students’ Rights**
A small Christian college in Missouri is tackling a legal battle with far-reaching consequences. The college is fighting for its right to restrict spaces such as dorms and showers to only women, challenging an executive order signed by President Biden on his first day in office. The outcome of this case could have implications for schools across America.
The College of the Ozarks, a Christian college in Point Lookout, didn’t back down when new rules issued by Biden’s Department of Housing and Urban Development required schools to open their women’s dormitories, including showers, to men who “identify” as women. The college filed a lawsuit against Biden and his administration, claiming that not only does the executive order infringe upon the school’s constitutional right to operate in line with their religious beliefs, but there should have been a public notice and comment period before such a significant change. However, the 8th Circuit Court of Appeals dismissed the suit and denied a petition for the matter to be heard by the full court. In response, College of the Ozarks and Alliance Defending Freedom, their law firm, have asked the U.S. Supreme Court to review the case.
Alliance Defending Freedom’s senior counsel, Julie Marie Blake, stated that young women shouldn’t have to change or undress in front of men, nor should they be forced to share a room with men. If the college loses the case, large fines, punitive damages, and even criminal liability could be imposed on school officials who refuse to comply with the Biden administration’s order.
The case’s high stakes have led other Christian colleges and nineteen states to submit friend-of-the-court briefs supporting College of the Ozarks. Esther Rea, a senior at the college, said that having to share dorm facilities with men would be “extremely scary” and expressed gratitude for the college’s stand. The Supreme Court is expected to decide whether to hear the case in late June.
**It’s Time to Stop Government Overreach: The Fight for the Rights of Female Students and Religious Freedom Continues**
