Hebrew Union College Seeks Dismissal of Ohio Lawsuit, Citing First Amendment Religious Protections

The Reform movement's central rabbinical seminary, Hebrew Union College, filed a motion to dismiss an Ohio lawsuit on Friday, asserting that the state's legal action violates the First Amendment by interfering with 'foundational Jewish religious doctrine.' Ohio's attorney general had sued HUC in April, alleging the school violated its nonprofit charter — which requires it to 'permanently maintain' a Cincinnati presence — and misled donors while fundraising in the city. The state is seeking to seize HUC's Ohio assets and redirect them to a new nonprofit with a similar mission; an upstart rabbinical school founded by HUC alumni has expressed interest in those assets. HUC countered that its decision to shutter Cincinnati's degree-granting programs was made lawfully and in keeping with its religious mission, citing a Torah passage to argue that adapting to 'Jewish demographic realities' is a matter of faith, not just administration. The college says it plans to retain its Cincinnati campus's cultural and archival institutions, including the Klau Library, the American Jewish Archives, and the Skirball Museum. The lawsuit was originally brought by then-AG Dave Yost, who resigned this week to join the Alliance Defending Freedom, a conservative Christian legal organization; the suit continues under the state AG's office.