diff --git a/search/tests/test_utils.py b/search/tests/test_utils.py
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..7f55c133
--- /dev/null
+++ b/search/tests/test_utils.py
@@ -0,0 +1,46 @@
+"""Tests for utility functions in search.utils module."""
+
+import unittest
+from ddt import ddt, data, unpack
+
+from search.utils import normalize_bool
+
+
+@ddt
+class TestNormalizeBool(unittest.TestCase):
+    """Test cases for normalize_bool function."""
+
+    @data(
+        (True, True),
+        (False, False),
+    )
+    @unpack
+    def test_boolean_values(self, value, expected):
+        assert normalize_bool(value) is expected
+
+    @data('y', 'Y', 'yes', 'YES', 't', 'T', 'true', 'TRUE', 'on', 'ON', '1')
+    def test_string_truthy_values(self, value):
+        assert normalize_bool(value) is True
+
+    @data('n', 'N', 'no', 'NO', 'f', 'F', 'false', 'FALSE', 'off', 'OFF', '0')
+    def test_string_falsy_values(self, value):
+        assert normalize_bool(value) is False
+
+    @data('invalid', '10')
+    def test_invalid_string_values(self, value):
+        with self.assertRaises(ValueError):
+            normalize_bool(value)
+
+    @data(
+        (1, True),
+        (0, False),
+        (100, True),
+        ([], False),
+        ([1, 2, 3], True),
+        ({}, False),
+        ({'key': 'value'}, True),
+        (None, False),
+    )
+    @unpack
+    def test_other_types(self, value, expected):
+        assert normalize_bool(value) is expected
diff --git a/search/utils.py b/search/utils.py
index ded4a759..28e98ccb 100644
--- a/search/utils.py
+++ b/search/utils.py
@@ -107,3 +107,20 @@ def end_time_string(self):
     def elapsed_time(self):
         """ Return the elapsed time """
         return (self._end_time - self._start_time).seconds
+
+
+def normalize_bool(value):
+    """ Normalize a value to a boolean. """
+    if isinstance(value, bool):
+        return value
+
+    if isinstance(value, str):
+        value = value.lower()
+        if value in ('y', 'yes', 't', 'true', 'on', '1'):
+            return True
+        if value in ('n', 'no', 'f', 'false', 'off', '0'):
+            return False
+
+        raise ValueError(f"Invalid truth value: '{value}'")
+
+    return bool(value)
diff --git a/search/views.py b/search/views.py
index 4d0499e9..89db933b 100644
--- a/search/views.py
+++ b/search/views.py
@@ -11,6 +11,7 @@
 from eventtracking import tracker as track
 from .api import perform_search, course_discovery_search, course_discovery_filter_fields
 from .initializer import SearchInitializer
+from .utils import normalize_bool
 
 # log appears to be standard name used for logger
 log = logging.getLogger(__name__)
@@ -181,7 +182,7 @@ def _course_discovery(request, is_multivalue=False):
     status_code = 500
 
     search_term = request.POST.get("search_string", None)
-    enable_course_sorting_by_start_date = request.POST.get("enable_course_sorting_by_start_date", False)
+    enable_course_sorting_by_start_date = normalize_bool(request.POST.get("enable_course_sorting_by_start_date", False))
 
     try:
         size, from_, page = _process_pagination_values(request)