America was founded on the promise of freedom—freedom not just to speak, but to believe, to live, and to teach according to one’s faith. That freedom is at the heart of institutions like the Moody Bible Institute of Chicago.
For more than a century, Moody has existed to proclaim the gospel and equip people to live out God’s purpose and calling in their lives.
As part of that mission, Moody’s Elementary Education program prepares future teachers through a state-approved training program that places student-teachers in local classrooms. But when Moody sought to participate in Chicago Public Schools’ student-teaching program, the district said ‘no’ unless Moody gave up its religious hiring rights as a condition of participation.
That’s not inclusion. It’s exclusion. And it strikes at the very freedom our nation promises.
What is Moody Bible Institute?
The Moody Bible Institute of Chicago (“Moody”) is a not-for-profit, Christian higher education and media ministry headquartered in Chicago, Illinois.
Founded in 1886 by evangelist Dwight L. Moody, the school has long been a cornerstone of evangelical higher education, dedicated to training students in biblical truth and practical ministry.
Organized and operated “exclusively for religious, educational, and charitable purposes,” Moody’s mission is clear: to proclaim the gospel and equip people to be biblically grounded, practically trained, and to engage the world through gospel-centered living.
Moody fulfills that mission through four schools: Moody Bible Institute Undergraduate School; Moody Aviation—Spokane; Moody Theological Seminary and Graduate School; and Moody Online.
Together, these schools offer biblically focused higher education to more than 2,300 students.
Why was Moody excluded by the Chicago Board of Education?
As a part of its Elementary Education degree program, Moody prepares future elementary school teachers through a state-approved elementary education program. Moody requires all of its student-teachers to comply with the rules and policies of the cooperating school or district in which they are placed. Prospective teachers must spend a minimum amount of time in classroom observation, practicum, and student teaching hours.
But when Moody sought to participate in Chicago Public Schools’ student-teaching program to help fulfill those requirements, Chicago Public Schools excluded Moody and its students. Why? Because, as a Christian institution, Moody hires only employees with religious beliefs that are consistent with Moody’s Doctrinal and Positional Statements.
This includes the Biblical beliefs that “God created humanity in His image as male and female”; that “God designed marriage to be a monogamous, permanent, committed relationship between a male and a female”; and that “the Bible teaches that any type of sexual activity outside the God ordained marriage of male and female is sinful.”
Chicago Public Schools refuses to budge unless Moody gives up its religious hiring rights as a condition of participation.
Religious nonprofits like Moody have the right to be religious
The Constitution is clear: the government cannot deny participation in a program simply due to a school’s religious character, beliefs, or practices. Religious organizations like Moody should never be forced to abandon their beliefs, identity, or religious exercise to gain access to public programs that are available to everyone else.
Pushing Christian schools to act against their religious convictions not only denies their students educational and workplace opportunities, but it also infringes upon their constitutional right to hire individuals who share and live out their faith. Christian schools shouldn’t be forced to choose between their faith and advancing educational opportunities. And no student should lose opportunities simply for attending a religious school.
Chicago Public Schools’ actions not only hurt Moody and its students. They also hurt the students in Chicago Public Schools. Every year, Chicago Public Schools struggles to fill hundreds of vacant teaching positions. By excluding Moody and its students, Chicago deprives its own schools and students of well-prepared and qualified student-teachers.
The bottom line: The government cannot force religious schools to abandon their religious beliefs, identity, or practices to participate in an otherwise available government program. Excluding religious organizations from public programs violates the First Amendment and doesn’t help anyone.
Moody Bible Institute of Chicago v. Board of Education of the City of Chicago
- January 2024: The Illinois State Board of Education approved the Moody Bible Institute’s elementary education degree program.
- July 2025: Moody requested an amendment to Chicago Public Schools’ discriminatory policy that would recognize its rights as a religious institution, but CPS refused. Chicago Public Schools refused the proposed amendment and denied Moody and its students from participating in its student-teaching program.
- November 2025: ADF attorneys filed a federal lawsuit on behalf of The Moody Bible Institute of Chicago, defending its right to hire employees who share its religious beliefs and to participate in government programs like everyone else.
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