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Ellenor Zinski claims that the Christian college fired her a month after she disclosed her identity to Human Resources and alerted them that she intended to legally change her name.
A woman is suing Liberty University after she was terminated from her position in IT when she came out as transgender.
Ellenor Zinski claimed in her lawsuit, filed by the American Civil Liberties Union, that the Christian college fired her a month after she disclosed her identity to Human Resources and alerted them that she intended to legally change her name. The lawsuit accuses Liberty officials of explicitly citing Zinski's gender when giving reason for her termination.
"Liberty University officials read a termination notice aloud to Ellenor citing 'denying biological and chromosomal sex assigned at birth' as the basis for her termination, stating a conflict with Liberty’s Doctrinal Statement that names 'denial of birth sex by self-identification with a different gender' as a 'sinful act prohibited by God,'" the lawsuit reads, via ABC.
The filing claims that Zinski feared the outcome, which caused great physical and mental distress during her employment.
"Ellenor’s anxiety about being discriminated against at work was so intense that she sometimes vomited," the lawsuit continues. "She used a tucked-away bathroom whose hallway’s exposed insulation meant it was rarely trafficked, and even during hot weather, she wore a branded Liberty jacket to deflect unwanted attention to her body."
The lawsuit is seeking $300,000 in compensatory damages for Zinski, as well as "declaratory relief that Liberty University’s policy violates Title VII."
“No matter your religious beliefs, it’s illegal sex discrimination to fire employees because of their sexual orientation or gender identity,” ACLU of Virginia Dunn Legal Fellow Samantha Westrum said in a statement. “Just because Liberty University has decided it wants to operate by a so-called ‘doctrinal statement’ doesn’t mean it’s not bound by federal law."
For Zinski, who is a Christian and regularly attends a welcoming church in the area, “Christianity has been so weaponized against the LGBTQ community, but there doesn’t need to be a conflict."
"You can be transgender and Christian," she said. "I am.”
