The University of Wisconsin has granted a housing accommodation to a Jewish student after the conservative law firm First Liberty Institute sent the university a demand letter July 30 on behalf of the student.
First Liberty Institute focuses on religious freedom disputes and is an advisory member for Project 2025 — a far-right political initiative to reform the government. The letter argued that the First Amendment’s protection of religious practices requires the university to accommodate religious students for housing.
The freshman student Orly Gallo requested dorm housing near UW Hillel and the Chabad House because her faith requires her to attend Sabbath services in the evening, according to the letter. But, the university had placed her in Kronshage Hall — a 29-minute walk from the Chabad House — replying to Gallo that it “does not assign students based on religion.”
Gallo then submitted a complaint June 5 to the UW Office of Compliance but associate director of civil rights compliance and Title IX coordinator Lauren Hasselbacher replied that Gallo’s situation did not establish a violation of the discrimination policy because the university’s housing assignments operate on a lottery system that does not favor or disfavor any group.
According to the letter, UW makes housing exceptions for students with on-campus jobs and medical issues, and First Liberty argues that therefore the university must accommodate religious students as well.
In a statement, counsel for First Liberty Kayla Toney said she hopes the university will implement a formal policy and process for religious housing accommodations.
UW Assistant Vice Chancellor of public affairs and institutional communications John Lucas said in an email that university housing does allow room reassignments as they become available during the summer.
“University Housing would clarify that rooms are primarily assigned through a lottery system with some reassignments possible over the course of the summer if rooms previously allocated become available,” Lucas said in the email. “That’s what happened here.”
Editor’s Note: This article was updated to include a statement by UW Assistant Vice Chancellor John Lucas.
