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Policies alone aren’t always enough.
That’s the lesson a Christian school in California learned the hard way when it faced a lawsuit over a football game decision that, at the heart, came down to clarity.
The school’s boys’ football team played an entire game against an opposing team without realizing one of the athletes on the field was a girl. It wasn’t until she removed her helmet at the end of the game that the coaches understood she was a female player. After the game, the school informed the opposing school that, moving forward, female students would not be permitted to participate in football games held on their campus. The administration explained that this decision was rooted in their biblical belief that boys and girls should be treated differently in certain physical contexts and that girls should be cared for and kept safe in activities like contact sports.
The decision wasn’t made from a place of hostility. It came from a sincere desire to honor biblical principles of respect and integrity.
But soon after, the school found itself in court. The female student filed a lawsuit alleging that the school’s actions amounted to sex-based discrimination under several claims, including Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972, a federal law that prohibits discrimination on the basis of sex in education programs that receive federal financial assistance.
During the early stage of the case, the school argued that its choice was based on sincerely held religious beliefs and therefore protected under the religious exemption to Title IX.
But the judge, unfortunately, wasn’t convinced.
While the school had a written policy prohibiting physical contact between male and female athletes, it hadn’t explicitly tied that policy to its religious beliefs.
The court concluded that without a clear written link between the school’s policy and its faith, it couldn’t yet determine whether Title IX’s religious exemption applied. As a result, the case was allowed to move forward.
ADF attorneys see this pattern often: ministries make decisions grounded in deeply held beliefs, but their documents — bylaws, handbooks, policies, or codes of conduct — don’t reflect those beliefs clearly enough.
When that happens, secular courts and government agencies are left unsure whether an organization’s action was religiously motivated. And if the religious connection isn’t spelled out in writing, a judge may conclude the nexus doesn’t exist.
If you want to protect your ability to operate consistently with your beliefs, you have to define and articulate what those beliefs are and how they apply to specific situations.
While the California case serves as a cautionary tale, let it also remind us of what’s possible when ministries steward their documents well.
When your policies are thoughtfully connected to your statement of faith, you not only strengthen your legal footing, you create opportunities for discipleship. Every policy becomes an outward-facing reflection of what your school believes and why. As such, every policy opens a door for your ministry to contend for biblical truth.
Clear policies ultimately help you stand firm on your convictions, operate with integrity, and keep your focus where it belongs: on the Gospel.
If you’d like to review your employment or conduct policies to ensure they clearly reflect your mission and beliefs, visit ADFChurchAlliance.org/Schools. Our attorneys can help you evaluate your documents and take the next step toward a strong legal foundation.
A California school’s lawsuit shows why every ministry must clearly connect its policies to its beliefs in writing. Learn how clarity preserves legal protections.
