Judge Dismisses Seattle Pacific University’s Suit Over Washington State’s Anti-LGBTQ Hiring Probe

Seattle Pacific University faced a legal challenge when Washington state Attorney General Bob Ferguson launched an investigation into the institution’s hiring practices regarding LGBTQ individuals. The Christian university argued that the state had no authority to demand information about its internal policies or interfere with its relationship with the Free Methodist Church. However, U.S. District Judge Robert Bryan dismissed the university’s lawsuit, ruling that it lacked standing to sue Ferguson.

The lawsuit was filed in July after Ferguson’s office initiated the probe following student and staff sit-ins and calls to remove the school’s board of trustees. The controversy stemmed from a May 2022 vote to retain a policy prohibiting staff from engaging in “same-sex sexual activity.” This decision followed a period of significant unrest at the university, including a faculty applicant’s lawsuit alleging sexual orientation discrimination and widespread calls from students and faculty to revise the school’s stance on human sexuality.

Students and faculty had taken a vote of no confidence in the board, and a working group of faculty, students, and trustees had recommended changes that were ultimately rejected. In response, a group of students urged Ferguson to take legal action against the school and its board. Ferguson then sent a letter requesting “prompt production of voluminous and sensitive internal information” on the university’s religious policies and their application to all employees.

The investigation seeks five years of data on the school’s internal religious matters, hiring practices, communication between ministerial employees, and the selection of leadership positions. Seattle Pacific’s attorney, Lori Windham of The Becket Fund for Religious Liberty, argued that Ferguson’s request represents an unprecedented demand for private information, specifically 800 employee records. She also contended that the probe bypasses formal procedures for requesting individual employee information and is based on public complaints from those who “disagree with university theology,” rather than from individuals who experienced discrimination.

The case highlights tensions between religious institutions and state oversight, raising questions about the balance between free speech, religious freedom, and anti-discrimination laws. As the legal battle unfolds, the broader implications for religious organizations and their interactions with government authorities remain a subject of public and legal scrutiny.

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