Christian Clubs File Suit Against Universities Over Jesus Confession
Christian students from four Christian clubs filed a civil rights lawsuit on Wednesday against two California universities, claiming that current rules discriminate against their groups, denying them benefits such as school funding and meeting spaces.
University administrators say that to recognize clubs requiring that members profess faith in Jesus would violate state law. An attorney for the students says that the university is violating their right to association under the First Amendment.
“All student groups have a right to elect officers and members who share that group’s values or belief system,” said Jeremy Tedesco, a litigator with the Alliance Defense Fund, according to news release.
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The case could have a wider impact. Both universities being sued are run by the Board of Trustees of the California State University system, which includes 23 campuses across the state. Universities across the country have similar policies.
Ohio State University, one of the largest public colleges in the country, changed its non-discrimination policy in response to a suit filed by the Christian Legal Society last year. At the University of North Carolina at Chapel-Hill, the administration would not change its policy but the suit, moved forward by the Scottsdale, Ariz.-based ADF succeeded in obtaining a preliminary injunction that allowed a Christian fraternity to exclude homosexuals.
San Diego State University, along with California State University, Long Beach were the two campuses sued on Wednesday. An SDSU spokesman says that state law prevents it from recognizing the students.
"The California education code holds us accountable for making sure we don't recognize institutions or students organizations that limit membership on the basis of race, religion or national origin," SDSU spokesman Jason Foster said according to KGTV in San Diego.
He indicated that other clubs on campuses such as the Muslim Student Association welcome students of different faiths and the Japanese Student Association accepts students of all races.
Tedesco illustrates his point by saying that a vegetarian club would not be required by the school let meat eaters or hunters lead their group.
“The ultimate impact of this policy will be to either eliminate Christian clubs from campus or dilute them to the point where they are no longer Christian,” he said.
The plaintiffs in the California cases are Every Nation Campus Ministries at SDSU and Cal State Long Beach, as well as Alpha Gamma Omega and Alpha Delta Chi, a fraternity and sorority at SDSU.
Three of the groups require that members profess faith in Christ and live according to a biblical code of conduct. The other only requires its leaders to do so. Each group prohibits sex outside of marriage between a man and a woman.
The suit by ADF could be the first of more lawsuits to come as part of its “University Project,” which seeks to defend Christian student groups across the country against discrimination from campus officials.
The case is Every Nation Campus Ministries et. al v. Achtenberg, et. al. and was filed with the United States District Court for the Sourthern District of California.
