A university in Virginia is facing a federal lawsuit because of its scheme that punishes Christian students.
The action, brought by the ADF against Virginia State, cites the school’s unconstitutional discrimination against Christian clubs Women of Victory and Bethel Campus Fellowship.
The school’s policies were changed recently to bar “student-led ministries” from holding registered student organization status or affiliating with their national organizations.
Further, ADF charges, “under the policy, the Christian clubs are subject to the sole authority of the University’s Campus Minister, who has complete discretion to approve or reject requests for religious meetings, events, guest speakers, and all other religious activities on campus.”
Meanwhile, the Muslim Students Association and the VSU Community Faith Alliance—the only non-Christian religious organizations at VSU—are explicitly exempted.
“VSU is brazenly singling out Christian clubs and treating them worse than student groups of other faiths. The Constitution prohibits such blatant discrimination,” said ADF lawyer Tyson Langhofer. “The First Amendment clearly establishes the right of all student organizations to associate around shared beliefs. The students of Women of Victory and Bethel Campus Fellowship are right to stand up to university officials and hold them accountable for violating their fundamental rights.”
ADF reported Women of Victory and Bethel Campus Fellowship actually are national groups with chapters at the school that now are under attack from the administration.
“The clubs provide religious support to students on college campuses through Bible studies, leadership trainings and events, and numerous other opportunities for spiritual growth, both on and off campus,” ADF said.
Just last month the school told student leaders that their “student-led ministries” were being put under the thumb of the school’s “campus minister,” Thomas Wynn, and a board of university employees.
When asked why the controls were imposed only on Christian organizations, Wynn said, “Because you are all faith-based … because you purport Jesus Christ and faith.”
He also canceled shuttle services that students had used to reach local churches because, “the school wants to crack down on transportation to outside churches.”
Jneva Norfleet, founder of Women of Victory, said it was “disheartening” that the school has stripped Christian students of their “status, rights, and benefits because of the students’ religious beliefs.”
The filing charges since school officials attacked only Christian groups, they are in “blatant violation of numerous First Amendment principles” and “have also made no attempt to hide the religious motivation for the restrictions.”
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[ H/T WorldNetDaily ]
