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Court Says Private Religious School Not Covered By California's Unruh Act

By Howard Friedman

The Riverside (CA) Press-Enterprise reports that in a January 11 ruling, a California trial court dismissed a discrimination lawsuit filed against Wildomar's California Lutheran High School by two 11th graders who in 2005 were expelled because school officials suspected they were in a lesbian relationship. The school's code of conduct provides that students can be expelled for immoral or scandalous behavior that contradicts Christian values. Riverside Superior Court Judge Gloria Trask apparently ruled that the the non-profit religious school is not a business, and so is not covered by provisions in California's Unruh Civil Rights Act (CA Civil Code Sec. 51 ff.) that prohibit businesses from discriminating on the basis of actual or perceived sexual orientation. (See prior related posting.)

Full post as published by Religion Clause on January 19, 2008 (boomark / email).