Federal investigation of LGBTQ dating ban at BYU dismissed

SALT LAKE CITY (AP) — The U.S. Department of Education has dismissed a civil-rights investigation into how LGBTQ students are disciplined at Brigham Young University. The Utah college said in a news release Thursday that the Department of Education concluded the private religious school is exempt from parts of Title IX, the law that protects against discrimination on the basis of sex in schools. The school operated by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints says the decision affirms “the freedom to operate a religious university without sacrificing distinctive religious beliefs.” Punishments for violations range from discipline to suspension and expulsion.