The professor has the right to hold whatever views he wants on transgender issues. But in this case, the student has rights, too – chiefly, the right to be treated with dignity and respect and to receive an education free from harassment and mistreatment.

Nothing in the university’s policies prevented the professor from going to the church of his choice, reading religious books, praying or holding whatever beliefs he wanted to about transgender people. He was, however, required to treat all of his students with dignity, decency and respect.

Liberty University's phenomenal growth came largely on the backs of taxpayers. Many of its students, both those at the physical campus and online, get federal grants to go there.