AMHERST, VA – Today, the Amherst County Circuit Court affirmed that Sweet Briar College can continue to uphold its mission to provide women with a quality education and preserve its women-only student body. This decision comes in response to an agreement between Virginia Attorney General Jason Miyares and Sweet Briar College to ensure that it remains true to its purpose of an all-women educational experience.
In response to the Amherst County Circuit Court decision, Independent Women issued the following statement:
May Mailman, Independent Women’s legal director, said: “Virginia knows what a woman is, and what a woman’s college is! Young women are entitled to seek single-sex spaces and single-sex colleges, and Sweet Briar can now rightfully fulfill its mission in providing such a place. Women deserve the certainty that comes with language, and with this agreement, Virginia affirms that a woman’s college is for women.”
In a statement also applauding this action, Attorney General of Virginia Jason Miyares said “Sweet Briar College has a proud and long tradition of providing women’s education. As the father of young daughters myself, to see Sweet Briar maintain its unique tradition of integrity and excellence in women’s education is encouraging to say the least. Sweet Briar is a historic institution established for women. I am deeply honored to have played a role in ensuring the college stays true to its founding purpose of educating women.”
According to Sweet Briar’s website, “An applicant is qualified for admission if she confirms that her sex assigned at birth is female and that she consistently lives and identifies as a woman.”
Sweet Briar has educated and empowered generations of remarkable women since 1906. When Indiana Fletcher Williams established the college in honor of her deceased daughter Daisy, the goal was to provide a well-rounded environment to prepare women for many challenging aspects of this world. Sweet Briar has fought hard to provide an education for women, and even survived an attempted closure in 2015, thanks to alumnae fighting tirelessly to preserve the single-sex education.