Penn State Student Group Sues for Right to Remain Christian
by Jim Brown
October 14, 2004
(AgapePress) - A public university in Pennsylvania has been hit with a federal lawsuit for requiring a Christian group to allow homosexuals and other non-Christians to become officers.
Six months ago, Pennsylvania State University denied official recognition to the DiscipleMakers Christian Fellowship, arguing the university already had too many Christian groups on campus. After being sued by the Christian Legal Society, the university agreed to provide DiscipleMakers with funding and access space.
Recently, however, the school told the Christian student organization that it would lose recognition again if it selected its officers and members on the basis of "sexual orientation" or religion. This prompted another lawsuit from CLS, challenging Penn State's non-discrimination policy, which the members of DiscipleMakers are concerned could be used to force their group's acceptance of non-Christian or homosexual students in leadership positions.
CLS litigation counsel Tim Tracey feels that neither DiscipleMakers nor any other group, under the logic of Penn State's non-discrimination policy, could be assured of being allowed to maintain its integrity. "Just like the College Republicans wouldn't want Students for Kerry to come in and run their club," he says, "it's no different that a Christian club doesn't want people who blatantly disagree with their beliefs to come in and run their club."
The CLS spokesman feels Penn State is violating the First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution by denying the group's right to expressive association. Furthermore, he says the administration, by trying to force DiscipleMakers' compliance with the policy, is particularly discriminating against the group as a Christian organization.
"You would think that, by the university's reasoning, [this policy would apply to] a Muslim group saying 'We don't want Jews,' or even an environmentalist group saying 'Well, hey, we want our leaders to be adherents to conservation or support recycling," Tracey says. "But the university doesn't see it that way. They're singling out Christian groups for discriminatory treatment."
Penn State has responded to the lawsuit with a statement that, according to an Associated Press report, claims the university "has not intervened in the officer selection process for any student group in the past, and has no intention to do so."
Nevertheless, DiscipleMakers attorney says the university's assurances are not sufficient, and the non-discrimination policy needs to be changed.
