The Human Rights Campaign (HRC), in a statement, praised the U.S. Department of Education for deciding to publish a searchable database—in the coming months—of educational institutions who have sought and/or received an exemption from federal civil-rights law in order to discriminate against LGBT students.
In December, the organization called on the department to make such a move.
“We have been alarmed by the growing trend of schools quietly seeking the right to discriminate against LGBT students, and not disclosing that information publicly,” said HRC President Chad Griffin. “We are encouraged that the Department of Education is answering our call for greater transparency to help ensure no student unknowingly enrolls in a school that intends to discriminate against them. We believe that religious liberty is a bedrock principle of our nation, however, faith should never be used as a guise for discrimination.”
In the report “Hidden Discrimination: Title IX Religious Exemptions Putting LGBT Students at Risk,” HRC highlighted 56 colleges and universities in 26 states that have requested religious exemptions under Title IX since 2013.