The Supreme Court ruled on Wednesday that Yeshiva University in New York is required for now to officially recognize an LGBTQ student group, NBC News reports.
In a 5-4 vote, the justices rejected an emergency request made by the Yeshiva University, which explained that recognizing the group would be contrary to its sincere religious beliefs.
The ruling leaves intact a decision by a New York state judge, who ruled in June that the university was bound by the New York City Human Rights Law, which bars discrimination based on sexual orientation.
The university says that it is a religious institution and therefore should be exempted from the law. Requiring the school to endorse the group would be a “clear violation” of its First Amendment rights, which protect the free exercise of religion, it said.
Justice Sonia Sotomayor last week imposed a temporary hold on the state court ruling, giving the court more time to consider the request. Wednesday's ruling said the university could turn to the high court again if it is not able to block the ruling in New York state courts.
The LGBTQ Pride Alliance group, which first sought recognition from the university in 2019, sued in April 2021, saying the school was required to grant its request because it is a place of public accommodation that is covered by the anti-discrimination law.
The conservative-leaning court has made several rulings protecting the right to freedom of religion and speech this year, such as a ruling that a high school football coach had the right to kneel on the field in a private prayer after games.