Baylor University will not lose any federal funding if they neglect to respond to reports of sexual harassment on campus, thanks to a Title IX religious exemption granted by the U.S. Department of Education.

It seems to be the first time a university has requested a religious exemption protecting it from sexual harassment claims, and also the first time the Department of Education has granted such a request.

Baylor, located in Waco, was granted the exemption "to the extent that they are inconsistent with the University's religious tenets." If unaddressed harassment happens at Baylor, particularly harassment against LGBTQI+ individuals, the new exemption keeps their federal funding well protected.

Baylor first requested the exemption in a May 1 letter noting that four complaints which had been filed with the Office for Civil Rights "must be dismissed because the allegations directly implicate Baylor's religious exemption" from Title IX.

"The University does not discriminate on the basis of sexual orientation or gender identity or expression per se, but it does regulate conduct that is inconsistent with the religious values and beliefs that are integral to its Christian faith and mission," reads the letter requesting the exemption, written by Baylor's president, Dr. Linda Livingstone.