Moody Bible Institute sues school board over exclusion from teacher program – Christian Post

Report on Legal Dispute Between Moody Bible Institute and Chicago Board of Education in the Context of Sustainable Development Goals

Executive Summary

• Moody Bible Institute (MBI) has initiated legal action against the Chicago Board of Education (CBE).
• The lawsuit, filed in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois, alleges that the CBE unlawfully barred MBI from a student-teaching program.
• The exclusion is based on MBI’s institutional hiring policies, which are rooted in its religious beliefs and conflict with the CBE’s non-discrimination requirements.
• This report analyzes the dispute through the framework of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), particularly SDG 4 (Quality Education), SDG 10 (Reduced Inequalities), and SDG 16 (Peace, Justice, and Strong Institutions).

Implications for SDG 4: Quality Education

The conflict directly impacts the objectives of SDG 4, which aims to ensure inclusive and equitable quality education for all.

1. Teacher Supply and Training (Target 4.c): The exclusion of MBI from the student-teaching program disrupts a potential pipeline of educators for Chicago Public Schools, which reportedly faces hundreds of teacher vacancies. This presents a challenge to efforts to substantially increase the supply of qualified teachers.
2. Access to Comprehensive Training: MBI’s elementary education program requires students to complete observation hours in both public and private school settings. The CBE’s decision creates a barrier for MBI students to fulfill their academic requirements, thereby affecting the quality and completeness of their training.

Conflict with SDG 10: Reduced Inequalities & SDG 5: Gender Equality

The core of the dispute highlights a tension between institutional religious freedom and the global commitment to reducing inequality.

• Non-Discrimination Policies (Target 10.2 & 10.3): The CBE’s requirement for partner institutions to adhere to non-discrimination policies aligns with SDG 10’s goal to empower and promote the inclusion of all, irrespective of status, and to ensure equal opportunity by eliminating discriminatory practices.
• Institutional Hiring Practices: MBI’s employment standards, which include stipulations on sexual activity and same-sex relationships, are presented as integral to its religious mission. However, these policies are in direct opposition to the principles of non-discrimination based on sexual orientation, a key component of SDG 5 and SDG 10.

The Role of SDG 16: Peace, Justice, and Strong Institutions

The lawsuit utilizes legal frameworks to address the conflict, underscoring the importance of strong institutions in mediating disputes over fundamental rights.

1. Access to Justice (Target 16.3): MBI is seeking resolution through the judicial system, demonstrating the function of legal institutions in promoting the rule of law and ensuring access to justice. The complaint alleges violations of the U.S. Constitution’s First Amendment and the Illinois Religious Freedom Restoration Act.
2. Accountable Institutions (Target 16.6): The case challenges the CBE, a public institution, on the grounds of discriminatory application of its policies against a religious entity. Conversely, it examines the extent to which a religious institution must align with public, non-discriminatory standards to participate in public programs.
3. Protection of Fundamental Freedoms (Target 16.10): The legal proceedings will test the balance between the fundamental freedom of religion, as claimed by MBI, and the responsibility of public institutions to ensure an inclusive, non-discriminatory environment for all students and staff.

Analysis of Sustainable Development Goals in the Article

1. Which SDGs are addressed or connected to the issues highlighted in the article?

• SDG 4: Quality Education

  The article directly relates to quality education through its focus on a student-teaching program, which is essential for training future educators. The conflict prevents Moody Bible Institute’s students from participating, impacting their training. Furthermore, the article highlights a critical challenge to quality education in the city by mentioning that “Chicago desperately needs more teachers to fill hundreds of vacancies.”

• SDG 10: Reduced Inequalities

  This goal is central to the conflict. The Chicago Board of Education’s non-discrimination policy aims to reduce inequality by protecting individuals from discrimination based on sexual orientation. Conversely, Moody Bible Institute argues that this policy creates inequality for its students and the institution itself by discriminating against them based on their religious beliefs and practices, thereby denying them equal opportunity to participate in the teaching program.

• SDG 16: Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions

  The article is about a lawsuit, which is a formal process for seeking justice through legal institutions. Moody Bible Institute has filed a complaint in the United States District Court, demonstrating the use of the justice system to resolve disputes and protect fundamental freedoms, such as the religious freedoms guaranteed by the First Amendment and the Illinois Religious Freedom Restoration Act. The core of the issue is the enforcement and interpretation of non-discriminatory laws and policies by a public institution (the Chicago Board of Education).

2. What specific targets under those SDGs can be identified based on the article’s content?

1. Target 4.c: Increase the supply of qualified teachers

   The article explicitly states that “Chicago desperately needs more teachers to fill hundreds of vacancies.” The student-teaching program from which Moody is barred is a direct pipeline for creating qualified teachers. By excluding a potential source of student teachers, the policy inadvertently works against the goal of increasing the teacher supply.

2. Target 10.3: Ensure equal opportunity and reduce inequalities of outcome

   This target is at the heart of the lawsuit. The Chicago Board of Education’s policy is intended to eliminate discriminatory practices to ensure equal opportunity. However, Moody argues that this policy is itself discriminatory, creating an “inequality of outcome” by preventing its students from completing their required training and pursuing teaching careers in public schools solely because of the institution’s religious hiring standards.

3. Target 16.3: Promote the rule of law and ensure equal access to justice for all

   Moody Bible Institute is exercising its right to equal access to justice by filing a lawsuit. The article details that Moody “filed the complaint on Tuesday in the United States District Court,” using the legal system to challenge a policy it believes violates its constitutional and state-level rights.

4. Target 16.b: Promote and enforce non-discriminatory laws and policies

   This target is relevant from both perspectives. The Chicago Board of Education is enforcing its non-discrimination policy to align with this goal. At the same time, Moody is challenging this enforcement, arguing that the policy is discriminatory against religious institutions and violates laws that protect religious freedom, such as the “Illinois Religious Freedom Restoration Act.”

3. Are there any indicators mentioned or implied in the article that can be used to measure progress towards the identified targets?

• Indicator for Target 4.c (Increase supply of qualified teachers)

  The article provides a direct, though informal, indicator of a teacher shortage by mentioning “hundreds of vacancies” in Chicago’s public schools. This figure can be used to measure the gap in the supply of qualified teachers.

• Indicator for Target 10.3 (Ensure equal opportunity)

  The existence of the lawsuit itself serves as an indicator of a perceived discriminatory practice. The specific policies at the center of the dispute—the “non-discrimination policies” of the school board and Moody’s “faith-based hiring practices“—are the tangible elements that can be analyzed to measure whether equal opportunity is being ensured or hindered.

• Indicator for Target 16.3 (Ensure equal access to justice)

  The filing of the “complaint … in the United States District Court for the Northern District of Illinois” is a clear indicator that a party is utilizing the formal justice system to seek redress. The progression and outcome of this lawsuit would be a measure of the system’s function in providing access to justice.

• Indicator for Target 16.b (Promote non-discriminatory laws)

  The legal challenge based on the “First Amendment of the U.S. Constitution as well as the Illinois Religious Freedom Restoration Act” is an indicator of efforts to hold public institutions accountable to existing laws that protect fundamental rights. The conflict between the school district’s policy and these laws highlights the ongoing process of defining and enforcing what constitutes a “non-discriminatory” policy in practice.

4. Summary Table of SDGs, Targets, and Indicators

Source: christianpost.com