So. Illinois Univ. Ordered to Reinstate Christian Campus Group
by Jim Brown
August 29, 2005
(AgapePress) - A religious liberties group believes an appeals court in Chicago has changed the landscape on college campuses regarding the issue of discrimination against Christian student clubs. The Southern Illinois University School of Law had stripped the campus Christian Legal Society chapter of its registered status, taken away its benefits, and kicked it out of its locker space. The offense committed by the CLS chapter? The group requires that its members and leaders be Christians.
However, in response to a CLS lawsuit, the Seventh U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals has ruled SIU violated the group's constitutional rights and ordered that the Christian Legal Society be fully reinstated immediately. CLS chief litigation counsel Steve Aden says it is still not clear whether SIU will comply with the ruling.
"We are in discussion with Southern Illinois about that," the attorney says. "They have indicated that they will work with us, but then they came up with a whole new set of procedures and forms that we've never seen before. So the jury's still out. We're hoping that their bona fides are in place -- but we'll believe it when we see it."
According to Aden, the Seventh Circuit ruled that the university caused CLS "irreparable harm" by violating its constitutional rights. "They ordered immediate reinstatement of the club with all of its benefits pending the hearing of the appeal," he says, calling it "very encouraging."
"It's a good sign for Christian clubs across the country who face situations like this on university campuses, and we hope that other schools sit up and take notice," Aden adds.
SIU has held that the campus group's requirement that its members and leaders be Christians violates the university's affirmative action policy. In July a district court judge had denied the group's request for preliminary injunction; the group appealed the decision to the Seventh Circuit.
Jim Brown, a regular contributor to AgapePress, is a reporter for American Family Radio News, which can be heard online.
