Baylor receives exemption from Title IX provision

The U.S. Department of Education has accepted Baylor University’s request for a religious exemption from Title IX’s sexual harassment provision.

Baylor, a private institution with historic Baptist ties, asked to dismiss discrimination complaints filed by LGBTQ+ students, asserting they were “inconsistent” with the institution’s religious values.

In an Aug. 14 statement, university president Linda A. Livingstone said the school requested the exemption in response to current efforts by the Department of Education to expand its definition of sexual harassment.

The modification could “infringe on Baylor’s rights under the U.S. Constitution, as well as Title IX, to conduct its affairs in a manner consistent with its religious beliefs,” according to the statement.