RICHMOND, Va. – A judge in the Western District of Virginia ruled last week that a lawsuit against Liberty University for firing Ellenor Zinski in violation of Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 will move forward.
“No one should be fired because of who they are, but Liberty University made it clear that’s exactly why it fired Ellenor,” said ACLU of Virginia Senior Transgender Rights Attorney Wyatt Rolla. “It's no surprise the judge ruled our case can move forward. Workplace discrimination against transgender people is against the law – no matter your religious beliefs.”
ACLU of Virginia and Butler Curwood filed Zinski v. Liberty University in July 2024 on behalf of Ellenor Zinski, whom Liberty University hired to work at its IT Helpdesk in 2023. Her supervisor assessed her performance as above average, and told her she was “on the path to success.”
But a month after Ellenor notified Human Resources that she planned to legally change her name to reflect her gender identity, the heads of Liberty University’s Human Resources and Information Technology departments called her into a meeting at which they read her a termination notice and cited “denying biological and chromosomal sex assigned at birth” as the basis for her termination.
“Liberty University seems to be trying to argue that it can discriminate against its employees under the guise of religion,” said ACLU of Virginia Legal Director Eden Heilman. “But federal law says no employer may discriminate against its employees by firing them on the basis of their sexual orientation or gender identity, no matter their religious beliefs. 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.”
Ellenor is a devout Christian who is committed to Liberty’s mission of “preaching Christ.” Even from a young age, she saw church as a support system, attending church every Sunday, Bible study every Wednesday, and Bible camp every summer. Today she is an active member of her local church, Trinity Episcopal, whose pastor fully supported her transition, even providing gender-affirming clothing.
“The first time anyone ever supported me by telling me that God made me this way was at Trinity Episcopal Church,” said Ellenor Zinski. “Christianity has been so weaponized against the LGBTQ community, but there doesn’t need to be a conflict: you can be transgender and Christian. I am.”
Friday’s ruling denying Liberty University’s motion to dismiss the case means that Zinski v. Liberty University will move forward. In addition to compensatory and punitive damages on behalf of Ellenor Zinski, the lawsuit is seeking declaratory relief that Liberty University’s policy violates Title VII.
