Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel has joined a coalition of 20 attorneys general in filing an amicus brief





Share or view as webpage [ [link removed] ] | Unsubscribe [ [link removed] ]






Michigan Department of Attorney General Press Release banner [ [link removed] ]




*FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:*
September 10, 2025




*Media Contact:*
Danny Wimmer <[email protected]>






Attorney General Nessel Files Brief to Safeguard Workers from Unjust Discrimination by Employers

*LANSING – *Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel has joined a coalition of 20 attorneys general in filing an amicus brief (PDF) [ [link removed] ] in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit in "Zinski v. Liberty University". The brief, filed in support of plaintiff Ellenor Zinski, urges the Court to affirm Zinski’s right to sue her former employer, Liberty University, for sex-based discrimination after Liberty fired her upon learning of her identity as a transgender woman. The coalition explains that the lower court’s ruling protects states’ ability to enforce employment anti-discrimination laws.  

“No employee should lose their livelihood simply because of who they are,” Nessel said. “Liberty University’s actions against Ms. Zinski are a clear violation of the law, and I stand with my colleagues in urging the Court to uphold her right to seek justice, because workers should be judged by their performance, not gender identity.” 

Zinski was hired by Liberty University in February 2023 to work at its IT Help Desk. In July 2023, after the end of the 90-day probationary period, Zinski notified the university’s human resources department of her identity as a transgender woman and that she planned to legally change her first name to Ellenor. One month later, Liberty University terminated her employment, asserting that, as a religious institution, it was entitled to fire her because of her transgender status.  

In July 2024, Zinski sued the university, arguing that her termination violated Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, which prohibits employment discrimination on the basis of sex. In April 2025, a federal judge denied Liberty’s motion to dismiss Zinski’s case. The university appealed that decision.  

In their brief, Attorney General Nessel and the coalition argue that although Liberty incorrectly claims that the First Amendment right of expressive association – which can allow groups to exclude members if exclusion is necessary to preserve the group’s identity or message – justifies its actions, court precedent does not support applying expressive association in employment scenarios. The coalition also argues that the First Amendment’s ministerial exception – which shields religious institutions’ ability to select individuals for “certain key roles” from antidiscrimination laws – does not bar Zinski’s claims, as she performed purely secular and administrative duties.    

If Liberty’s weaponization of the First Amendment were to prevail, the coalition asserts that it would dramatically constrict states’ ability to enforce employment discrimination laws. As such, the coalition asks the Court to uphold the lower court’s ruling and reject Liberty’s motion to dismiss Zinski’s case.  

Joining Attorney General Nessel in submitting this brief are the attorneys general of California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, the District of Columbia, Hawai'i, Illinois, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Minnesota, Nevada, New Jersey, New York, Oregon, Rhode Island, Vermont, Washington, and Wisconsin.   

###






AG logo [ [link removed] ]





*Media Inquiries* <[email protected]>




*Latest Releases* [ [link removed] ]




*File a Complaint* [ [link removed] ]








Connect with us:

facebook icon [ [link removed] ] x icon [ [link removed] ] youtube icon [ [link removed] ] instagram icon [ [link removed] ] linkedin icon [ [link removed] ] govdelivery icon <[email protected]> threads icon [ [link removed] ]

If you wish to no longer receive emails from us, 
please update your preferences here:
Manage Preferences [ [link removed] ]  |  Delete Profile [ [link removed] ]

Need further assistance?
Contact Us  |  Help [ [link removed] ]

________________________________________________________________________

Get personalized voter information on early voting and other topics at Michigan.gov/Vote [ [link removed] ].

________________________________________________________________________

This email was sent to [email protected] using GovDelivery Communications Cloud on behalf of: Michigan Attorney General · G. Mennen Williams Building, 7th Floor · 525 W. Ottawa St., P.O. Box 30212 · Lansing, MI 48909 · 517-373-1100
body .abe-column-block { min-height: 5px; } table.gd_combo_table img {margin-left:10px; margin-right:10px;} table.gd_combo_table div.govd_image_display img, table.gd_combo_table td.gd_combo_image_cell img {margin-left:0px; margin-right:0px;} table.govd_hr {min-width: 100%;} p, li, h1, h2, h3 { overflow-wrap: normal; word-wrap: normal; word-break: keep-all; -moz-hyphens: none; -ms-hyphens: none; -webkit-hyphens: none; hyphens: none; mso-hyphenate: none; }