Education · Minneapolis-St. Paul, MN Metro · August 20, 2026
Lawsuit Challenges U. of Minnesota's Compelled-Pronoun Speech Policy
Young America's Foundation, represented by the Southeastern Legal Foundation, filed suit June 18 against the University of Minnesota, alleging its gender-identity and pronoun policies violate students' First Amendment rights, The College Fix reports. The challenged policy requires students, faculty, and staff to use the names, pronouns, and gender identities specified by others, with exceptions only for legal documents. The suit argues students fear discipline for stating views such as "there are only two genders" or "a man cannot become a woman." It also cites the university's Bias Response and Referral Network, noting a complaint against an on-campus street evangelist who told a passerby "remember, only male and female" while sharing the gospel near Coffman Memorial Union. The university, which has not commented on specific allegations due to pending litigation, says it is committed to both free speech and an "inclusive" environment. A hearing on the university's motion to dismiss is set for Dec. 14 in federal court. YAF seeks a declaration that the policy is unconstitutional plus nominal damages and attorneys' fees.
Source: The College Fix
Why Bible-Believing Christians Should Care
This case shows how university speech codes can criminalize the plain biblical statement that God made mankind male and female, and can even flag gospel proclamation as a "bias incident." When institutions compel students to affirm gender ideology as a condition of good standing, they punish conscience and truth-telling, not just impolite speech. Christian students and parents should recognize that "inclusion" policies at public universities are increasingly being used to silence biblical convictions about sex and creation order, not merely to prevent unkindness. This lawsuit is a test of whether public universities can force students to speak against their convictions to remain in good standing.
Male and female created he them. — Genesis 1:27
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From the book
Schools operate under mandates for safety, inclusion, and critical thinking. Activists weaponize those terms under Rule 4. Redefine safety to mean protection from opposing ideas and the school must now exclude traditional Christian viewpoints in order to fulfill its own stated mandate.
— Chapter 19, “Capture in K-12”
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