Supreme Court Votes Wash Heights School Must Recognize LGBTQ Group

WASHINGTON HEIGHTS, NY — The Supreme Court voted Wednesday to lift the temporary hold on a court order that requires Yeshiva University in Washington Heights to recognize a student LGBTQ group.

The order was lifted on a five to four vote, that saw two conservatives — Chief Justice John Roberts and Justice Brett Kavanaugh — agree with the three liberal justices to create the majority.

The ruling to lift the order might not be a final one, though.

Many of the justices wrote that Yeshiva should return to state court for temporary relief while the case continues, and that if that isn’t granted, only then should it return to the Supreme Court.

The vote comes a handful of days after the Supreme Court announced on Friday that the school at West 185th Street could block the club from official forming as its final decision pends.

However, Justice Sonia Sotomayor clarified that the court would vote officially on the matter soon, which is what happened on Wednesday.

The decision from the Supreme Court comes after a New York court ruled that Yeshiva must recognize the club, and a separate appeals court declared that the university’s subsequent appeal did not justify a delay in the university recognizing it.

The university, an Orthodox Jewish institution in New York, argued that granting recognition to the Pride Alliance, “would violate its sincere religious beliefs."

The club argued that Yeshiva's plea to the Supreme Court was premature, also noting the university already has recognized a gay pride club at its law school.

The issue remains in a New York appeals court, but the judges there have refused to put a hold on the school having to recognize the club during the process.

Patch will follow along with any updates.

AP News contributed to this report.