by Kate Anderson
A New York Appeals Court ruled on Thursday that Yeshiva University must recognize the LGBTQ student group, YU Pride Alliance.
The Supreme Court ruled in September that it did not have jurisdiction to issue a decision regarding the case without it first going through the state courts. The appeals court’s most recent decision upheld an earlier ruling in June that required the Jewish university to immediately recognize the YU Pride Alliance.
The appeals court opinion argued that Yeshiva could not prevent the YU Pride Alliance from becoming an official student organization because it did not meet the criteria of a “religious corporation.”
“Supreme Court correctly held that Yeshiva does not meet the definition of ‘religious corporation incorporated under the education law or the religious corporation law,’ which would exempt it from the prohibitions against discrimination in public accommodations as an organization ‘deemed to be . . . distinctly private,’” the opinion stated.
The group filed the lawsuit in April after Yeshiva repeatedly denied an application for official recognition as a student organization on campus as it would “violate its sincere religious beliefs,” according to Yeshiva’s appeal of the June decision.
The court also determined that allowing the YU Pride Alliance official recognition would not “intrude on Yeshiva’s asserted right ‘to decide matters ‘of faith and doctrine.’”
Hanan Eisenman, a Yeshiva spokesperson, told the DCNF that it planned to appeal the court’s ruling.
“Yeshiva is disappointed in the court’s ruling and will continue on appeal to defend against the claim that we are not a religious institution,” Eisenman stated.
Yeshiva established a new club called “Kol Yisrael Areivim” in place of the YU Pride Alliance in an attempt to “be supportive of our students that are consistent with Halacha and inspired by our values.” The announcement did not go over well with the YU Pride Alliance who called the new club a “desperate stunt” and a “sham,” according to Campus Reform.
The YU Pride Alliance did not respond to the Daily Caller’s request for comment.
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Kate Anderson is a reporter at Daily Caller News Foundation.
Photo “Yeshiva University” by Yeshiva University.
