Settlement secured with legal representation from Alliance Defending Freedom protects qualifying CEA members on key gender-identity-related workplace issues
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
August 18, 2026
The Christian Employers Alliance (CEA), represented by Alliance Defending Freedom (ADF), has reached a significant settlement with the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) in Christian Employers Alliance v. EEOC, providing important protections for Christian employers seeking to operate their workplaces consistently with their sincerely held religious beliefs.
Under the settlement, the EEOC agrees not to pursue charges against CEA or qualifying CEA members when those charges are based on specified conduct related to gender identity, gender transition, or transgender status.
The protected conduct identified in the agreement includes certain workplace decisions involving compelled speech and pronoun usage, sex-specific dress codes, access to private spaces reserved for members of the opposite sex, and policies or training relating to those issues.
“This agreement provides meaningful protection for Christian employers who simply want to operate their businesses in a manner consistent with their faith,” said Margaret Iuculano, President of the Christian Employers Alliance. “CEA members should not be forced to choose between following their deeply held Christian convictions and participating in the marketplace. Protecting that freedom is central to why CEA exists.”
“Alliance Defending Freedom has been an extraordinary partner in defending the freedom of Christian employers to live and work according to their faith,” said Iuculano. “Their legal expertise and commitment to religious liberty were instrumental in securing this important protection for CEA and our members.”
The settlement applies to CEA members who meet the requirements established in the agreement, including membership in CEA at the time of the conduct at issue and adherence to CEA’s Statement of Faith and Christian Ethical Convictions.
Importantly, the agreement also provides a path for future CEA members to receive its protections, provided they satisfy the settlement’s membership, eligibility, and certification requirements.
CEA’s Statement of Faith and Christian Ethical Convictions affirm that Christian faith extends into every area of life — including the workplace — and that work and business, when informed and motivated by Christian values, constitute an expression of religious exercise and worship.
“This is why membership in CEA matters,” Iuculano continued. “Christian employers are stronger when they stand together. This settlement demonstrates the practical importance of an organization that can defend the freedom of its members to faithfully live out their convictions in the workplace.”
The settlement resolves specified claims in CEA’s lawsuit concerning the EEOC’s interpretation and application of Title VII to gender-identity-related workplace conduct. The agreement does not prevent the EEOC from carrying out statutory responsibilities associated with receiving charges, but it restricts the agency from pursuing charges against qualifying CEA members to the extent those charges are based on the conduct covered by the settlement.
The agreement also does not encompass a distinct part of the lawsuit concerning the EEOC’s enforcement of the Pregnant Workers Fairness Act to require employers to affirm and facilitate abortions. That portion of the case will continue but is on hold, and CEA members are temporarily protected from EEOC enforcement in the meantime based on a previous agreement.
CEA will continue working alongside trusted legal and policy partners to protect Christian employers through legal advocacy, public policy engagement, and practical resources that help business and organizational leaders operate with confidence and fidelity to their biblical convictions.
About Christian Employers Alliance
The Christian Employers Alliance is a national organization dedicated to equipping and protecting Christian employers so they can operate their businesses and organizations in accordance with their faith. CEA advances religious freedom for Christian employers through advocacy, legal protection, policy engagement, and resources designed to help employers integrate biblical principles throughout their workplaces.
About Alliance Defending Freedom
Alliance Defending Freedom is a legal organization committed to protecting religious freedom, free speech, parental rights, marriage and family, and the sanctity of human life. ADF represented Christian Employers Alliance in this litigation.
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