Conservative Christian colleges are concerned they could lose federal funding if they hold on to policies that affirm the Biblical view of sexuality.
A panel discussion on National Public Radio (NPR) heard fears that funding for the schools could be affected if they receive complaints that fall under a U.S. law known as Title IX, which prohibits schools that receive federal aid from discriminating against students based on their sex.
Christian colleges feared that they could lose federal funding if the word 'sex' in the law includes sexual orientation or gender identity.
There are similar concerns with Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, which prohibits employment discrimination on the basis of "race, color, religion sex or national origin."
Although the law does not mention sexual orientation or gender identity, some courts have interpreted Title VII as protecting LGBT individuals.
In 2016, fears were heightened when the Obama administration declared that Title IX does bar discrimination based on gender identity.
"The fear is so large in so many institutions because 40 or 50 or maybe even 60 percent of their budgets are really coming from the federal government," said Dale Kemp, chief financial officer at Wheaton College in Illinois, according to NPR.
Mary Hulst, the chaplain at Calvin College in Michigan, was concerned about discrimination cases being lodged in relation to transgender students.
"If they're identifying as this and yet their birth certificate still says this 'cause they haven't transitioned, where do we place them? How do we care for them? How do we provide restroom facilities that are - you know, it's all of those things," she said, as reported by NPR.
NPR Correspondent Tom Gjelten said religious schools can apply for a Title IX exemption based on their beliefs, and some have already obtained an exemption so that they are allowed to house male and female students separately.
Schools can also apply for exemptions from Title VII by demonstrating that the nondiscrimination provisions in the law contradict their religious beliefs. However, opinions vary on whether those exemptions can apply to Christian colleges that seek to maintain their policies regarding sexual orientation.
The Council of Christian Colleges and Universities, a generally conservative group, has recently held a meeting to discuss whether Title IX could jeopardize federal funding for conservative schools.
Gjelten noted that although the Trump administration had overturned the Obama administration's Title IX guidance last year, Christians schools are still doubtful.
Carl Trueman at Westminster Theological Seminary expressed his belief that the politics could be reversed in a few years.
"Depending on the makeup of the Supreme Court, depending on who is president, I could see the gay-transgender issue being pushed in a way that would seek to make Christian colleges either surrender their federal funding or change their position and conform with the wider consensus," he told NPR.
