Christian Student Group Fights Illinois Law School Officials for Recognition, Equal Treatment
by Jim Brown
June 13, 2005
(AgapePress) - The Southern Illinois University School of Law is being sued for revoking the registered student organization status of the campus charter of the Christian Legal Society. SIU claims the chapter's membership policies violate the university's affirmative action equal employment policy; however, that policy has not been applied to other religious student groups.At issue is the chapter's requirement that its members and officers be Christians. CLS attorney Casey Mattox says the Christian organization is asking a federal court to provide relief for the chapter by allowing the members to have the benefits of a recognized student group while the case is pending -- benefits other campus groups already enjoy.
"For example," Mattox says, "there's no question that the College Democrats at Southern Illinois could limit their formal membership and voting membership -- and even, obviously, officer positions -- to people who are registered Democrats. And the [CLS] chapter is basically asking only for that same privilege that those other groups get."
Mattox believes SIU is engaging in blatant anti-Christian discrimination. In fact, he notes, "It's hard to explain any other way than that" since the university officials have "basically singled out this chapter, this Christian student group, as the only student group that appears to be subject to this policy."
The Christian Legal Society has filed a motion for a preliminary injunction that would allow the CLS chapter at Southern Illinois University to have registered student status. CLS hopes to get a hearing date on its motion and have the case resolved this summer.
Jim Brown, a regular contributor to AgapePress, is a reporter for American Family Radio News, which can be heard online.
