Christian university granted sexual harassment exemption for LGBTQ+ students 

The US Department for Education has granted a religious exemption to Baylor University which excludes them from sexual harassment claims involving LGBTQ+ students.

Baylor University, a private Baptist Christian research university in Waco, Texas, sent a letter to the Department of Education Office of Civil Rights on 1 May, requesting reassurance “that the belief in or practice of its religious tenets by the University or its students” would not constitute “unwelcome conduct” under the department’s definition of “sexual harassment” under Title IX. 



In a 2021 letter to the Department of Education Office of Civil Rights, @Baylor requested a religious exemption for the following three claims: pic.twitter.com/xSHVXctJIa

— Religious Exemption Accountability Project (@REAP_LGBTQ) August 10, 2023

This request reportedly came after four complaints of harassment were made against the school, including one allegation that the school failed to respond to students who were harassed for their gender or sexual identity.

The US Department for Education granted Baylor University’s request on 25 July, meaning that staff and students could not be accused of sexual harassment for their behaviour towards LGBTQ+ people, which would be banned under Title IX where the behaviour is justified according to their religious beliefs and practices.

Baylor’s exemption also means that the university will not lose any federal funding if they neglect to respond to reports of sexual harassment on campus.