Former Liberty University employee sues school, alleging she was fired because she is transgender

A former employee of Liberty University is suing the school, claiming she was fired after she disclosed that she is transgender.

The lawsuit, filed Monday by the ACLU of Virginia and the Richmond law firm Butler Curwood, claims that the university violated the Civil Rights Act of 1964, which prohibits discrimination based on race, color, religion, sex or national origin.

The plaintiff, Ellenor Zinski, was hired to work at the private university’s information technology help desk in 2023, and received a positive performance review three months into her time there, the complaint says.

But after notifying human resources at the Lynchburg school that she is a trans woman who planned to legally change her name — and waiting for a month with no response from Liberty about the change — Zinski was terminated in August 2023, according to the complaint.

“Liberty University officials read a termination notice aloud to Ellenor citing ‘denying biological and chromosomal sex assigned at birth’ as the basis for her termination, stating a conflict with Liberty’s Doctrinal Statement that names ‘denial of birth sex by self-identification with a different gender’ as a ‘sinful act prohibited by God,’” a news release from the American Civil Liberties Union stated. The details of Liberty’s termination notice are not included in the complaint.

“No matter your religious beliefs, it’s illegal sex discrimination to fire employees because of their sexual orientation or gender identity,” Samantha Westrum, a legal fellow at the ACLU of Virginia, said in the release. “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.”

The complaint seeks $300,000 plus back pay and asks that Zinski be reinstated. The suit seeks additional payment if her employment is not reinstated, but does not specify an amount.

A Liberty University spokesperson did not immediately respond to a phone call Monday afternoon.

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