WATCH: Catholic lawyer on the 'Gender Inclusion' policy that nearly erased religious liberty

Addison Smith interviews Christopher Dodson on a now ceased 'Gender Inclusion' policy proposal from the University of North Dakota.

Dodson warns Catholic high school parents that such a proposal is a violation of students' religious and free speech rights.

Christopher Dodson, lawyer and Executive Director of the North Dakota Catholic Conference, has a warning for high school parents: Beware of “Gender Inclusion” policies. 

Dodson cautions against the University of North Dakota’s (UND) gender inclusion policy proposal, which has ceased since the time of recording. Under the proposal, intentional misgendering would have been deemed an act of harassment or discrimination. It also would have allowed for students to be housed on a basis “consistent with their gender identity and expression” rather than their biological sex.

Campus Reform’s Addison Smith spoke with Dodson, who wrote a letter to Catholic high school parents claiming that such a proposal “is contrary to Catholic teaching and infringes upon free speech and religious rights.” He urged parents to contact UND administrators and encourage them to “reject this flawed proposal.”

[RELATED: North Dakota Catholic Conference warns parents about UND’s proposed pronoun policy]

In the interview, Dodson tells Smith the university needs to clarify their position, citing that the proposal is far too “broad” in its interpretation.

”The original proposal basically said... students will be assigned [housing] according to their expressed gender rather than their biological sex,” Dodson says. “But elsewhere in their policy it says that a student cannot inquire about someone’s true biological sex.” 

For Dodson and many others, this raised concerns about women being forced into rooming situations with men. Dodson goes on to say that UND attempted to backtrack on this issue.

”Now, the University has said since then... ‘that won’t happen; we’ll make sure it doesn’t happen, and there are other parts of the housing policy which makes sure that wouldn’t happen,’” he says. “But what we’re not clear on is why it wouldn’t happen.”

[NEW REPORT: UND scraps ‘Gender Inclusion’ policy proposal after Catholic org warns parents]

Dodson says, “I think we need clarification [from the university]: Are they ever going to assign someone of the opposite biological sex in their housing situations?”

Dodson also tells Smith that apart from detachment from “some truths,” there is “an agenda” that is “taking over,” which is prompting universities like UND to act in accordance with the narrative.

”Creating a safe environment for learning [that is] free of harassment: that’s the job of every university,” Dodson says. “But imposing a particular ideology upon the students is not the role of the state.”

Since this interview, Campus Reform has reported that UND scrapped the policy proposal following heavy backlash.

Watch the full interview above.


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