Do Christian Organizations Have A Right to Hire/Fire Based On Faith?

Liberty University, a leading evangelical Christian institution, is now involved in a major federal lawsuit over its employment decisions grounded in religious beliefs, which raises the question, “what rights do religious institutions really have in the U.S.?”

The case involves former Liberty University (LU) employee Jonathan Zinski (now Ellenor Zinski) who was terminated after he announced a gender transition and his intent to live openly as a transgender woman.

Zinski began work in February 2023 as an Information Services Apprentice in the IT Helpdesk, receiving positive early reviews as being “on the path to success.” After the 90-day probation ended, however, Zinski informed HR he would now be identifying as transgender, starting hormone therapy, and planning a legal name change to Ellenor.

Once Zinski’s intents had been made know, Liberty ended his employment stating it constituted an “open violation” of the university’s doctrinal statement, which employees are required to affirm, as it upholds a biblical view of sex and gender, whilst also prohibiting “denial of birth sex by self-identification with a different gender.”

Unsurprisingly, Zinski’s case found backing by the ACLU of Virginia and Butler Curwood, and Zinski sued LU in July 2024, claiming Title VII violations under the Civil Rights Act of 1964, including sex discrimination extended by the Supreme Court’s 2020 Bostock v. Clayton County ruling to cover gender identity.

In February 2025, a Western District of Virginia judge denied Liberty’s motion to dismiss and, as such, advanced the case. Liberty appealed, with the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit accepting interlocutory review.

Represented by Liberty Counsel, the university has invoked Title VII religious exemptions (Sections 702 and 703), the First Amendment, the Religious Freedom Restoration Act (RFRA), and doctrines like church autonomy.

Liberty Counsel Founder and Chairman Mat Staver has argued the employee may have “set up” the university, and in doing so, could potentially have been using hormones while affirming the doctrinal statement before the transition disclosure.

Staver is scheduled to argue the case before the Fourth Circuit on March 17, 2026, calling it potentially landmark with possible Supreme Court implications, bolstered by recent favorable rulings in similar religious cases elsewhere.

The core issue: Do Christian organizations, ministries, or churches have the right to hire and fire according to their sincerely held religious beliefs? Religious liberty law answers yes.

The First Amendment protects free exercise and prevents government interference in faith-based employment decisions central to a religious mission. Title VII explicitly exempts religious organizations from certain discrimination claims when decisions advance religious purposes, often extending beyond ministerial roles. These protections allow faith-based entities to maintain doctrinal integrity on issues like human identity, sexuality, and gender without state compulsion to adopt conflicting secular standards.

For institutions like Liberty University, aligning staff with shared beliefs is essential to fulfilling their Christian mission. Without this autonomy, religious organizations risk forced conformity that undermines core teachings.

As the Fourth Circuit hears arguments on March 17 in this high-stakes case, the ruling could shape workplace religious freedom nationwide. Supporters are encouraged to pray for an outcome that strongly affirms First Amendment protections, enabling Christian groups to hire and retain those who uphold their doctrinal convictions.

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