by Jorge Gomez • 2 minute
Good news for our client, Orly Gallo, a Jewish student who’ll be attending the University of Wisconsin (UW) this fall.
On August 8, the university granted her religious housing accommodation request.
Orly’s Jewish faith is central to her life. She attended culturally and religiously Jewish schools growing up. She is fluent in Hebrew and excelled in Jewish studies programs in high school. When choosing a university, she had many prestigious options.
Orly chose UW over other schools because of its reputation as a welcoming home to Jewish students. Being able to safely practice her religious beliefs was a key factor. The school is known for avoiding the anti-Semitic tensions on the rise at other universities.
She requested dorm housing close to the Hillel and Chabad buildings on campus, because her Jewish faith requires her to walk to Sabbath services after sundown, and she cannot use a car, bus or phone during the Sabbath and religious holidays. The only kosher kitchens on campus are also at these buildings.
The university originally denied her request and placed her on the opposite end of campus, stating that the lottery system for housing applications makes no exceptions, despite her safety concerns. Every Friday night, she would have to walk more than a mile each way, in the dark, to and from her Sabbath services.
First Liberty and the law firm Eimer Stahl sent a letter to the school stressing First Amendment protections for religious practices. We pointed out that UW makes exceptions for non-religious reasons, including on-campus jobs and medical issues, and that means they must accommodate religious students, too.
“We are grateful the University recognized the need to grant Orly’s request, and we fully expect them to implement a policy change so that future students can receive religious accommodations as well,” said Kayla Toney, a First Liberty attorney.
“Orly takes her faith seriously, so we are pleased the school’s decision now respects and supports her right to freely exercise her beliefs without compromising her physical safety,” said Ryan Walsh, partner at Eimer Stahl.
This is an incredibly meaningful victory for Orly going into her first year of college. Getting her housing squared away means she can focus on her studies and live out her faith without having to worry about her safety.
Religious students deserve to be treated the same as everyone else. We commend the University for doing the right thing and complying with state law and the Constitution. We also urge students facing similar issues to reach out to us for legal protection and to stand up courageously for their faith as Orly did.
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