A Colorado Christian children’s summer camp is now exempt from the state’s transgender accommodation licensing requirements as part of a federal lawsuit settlement.
The Colorado Department of Early Childhood (CDEC) and Camp Id-Ra-Ha-Je, a nonprofit Christian organization located in Bailey, about 30 miles southwest of Denver, announced a settlement Tuesday in which the camp agreed to drop its lawsuit over state guidelines that attorneys said required licensed resident camps to allow campers to use the private facilities of the opposite sex.
Camp Id-Ra-Ha-Je, whose name is derived from the hymn “I’d Rather Have Jesus,” has been a fixture in Colorado since 1948, offering summer programs for children ages 6 to 17.
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The camp, represented by Alliance Defending Freedom, filed its lawsuit in U.S. District Court in May, alleging that the CDEC had denied its request for a religious exemption from gender-identity rules. These rules, the camp argued, conflicted with its faith-based mission and violated its religious beliefs.
The regulations in question stem from the Colorado Civil Rights Commission’s (CCRC) rules implementing the Colorado Anti-Discrimination Act (CADA), adopted in 2008. The CCRC rules, which the CDEC aligned with in 2018 and amended in February 2025, include provisions related to gender identity. However, these rules explicitly do not apply to “churches, synagogues, mosques, or any other place that is principally used for religious purposes” like Camp Id-Ra-Ha-Je.
Dr. Lisa Roy, CDEC’s executive director, released a statement confirming the state’s settlement with the camp.
“We are glad to support Camp Id-Ra-Ha-Je’s understanding of their ability to provide a religious camp experience to kids,” Roy said. “The CDEC did not take any enforcement action against Camp Id-Ra-Ha-Je related to any of the licensing regulations raised in the lawsuit and the camp was never under a threat of closure.”
As part of the settlement, the CDEC issued an information memo and administrative guidance specifically for Children’s Resident Camps to reaffirm that the gender-identity regulations cited in the lawsuit do not apply to child care providers operating as religious institutions or entities primarily used for religious purposes.
The guidance, officials said, aims to clarify the exemptions and prevent similar disputes in the future, ensuring religious organizations understand their rights under Colorado law.
ADF Legal Counsel Andrea Dill celebrated the outcome.
“Government officials should never put a dangerous ideology ahead of kids,” Dill said. “State officials must respect religious ministries and their beliefs about human sexuality; they can’t force a Christian summer camp to violate its convictions. We’re pleased that Camp IdRaHaJe is again free to operate as it has for more than 75 years: as a Christian summer camp that accepts all campers without fear of being punished for its beliefs.”
Featuring off-site backpacking and camping trips, along with numerous on-site activities, Camp IdRaHaJe serves children ages 6 to 17, with up to 3,000 students attending every year. The camp’s mission, said Dill, is to “win souls to Jesus Christ through the spreading of the Gospel.” The camp is open to children of all backgrounds and beliefs, and parents are asked to agree to the camp’s policies when registering.
