A federal judge in July granted Yale's motion to dismiss a civil suit filed by four students who contested the University's requirement that undergraduates live on campus.
Yale's motion was granted in Hartford by Chief Judge Alfred V. Covello of the United States District Court of Connecticut. The judge dismissed a claim that Yale's residential policies violated the plaintiffs' constitutional rights to free exercise of religion, as well as claims that Yale's denial of a waiver violated federal housing and antitrust statutes.
Vice President and General Counsel Dorothy K. Robinson said, "Yale College's residential requirement is premised on an educational philosophy which values bringing people of diverse backgrounds together in vibrant communities. We are gratified that Judge Covello agreed with our position that the students' objections to it were not supported by law."
To ensure that all students experience residential college life, Yale requires freshmen and sophomores to live on campus unless they are married or over 21 years of age. The four Orthodox Jewish students who filed the suit in October of 1997 had sought but were denied a waiver of the residency requirement. Yale had offered to provide the students with same-sex living arrangements on campus.
In assigning Yale College freshmen to one of the 12 residential
colleges, Yale tries to create a microcosm of the diverse student
population. In its description of the residential colleges for prospective
students, Yale states: "Unlike a system in which students choose a
residential unit, and may divide themselves according to background or
interests, Yale's system provides integration and inclusiveness."
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