Psychologist's association with family group costs job

A Christian psychologist who at one point served on the board of a pro-family organization has lost his work with the Minneapolis police department over that past affiliation, according to officials.

Technically, Michael Campion's work for the department simply was 'not renewed,' but since even city officials confirm they have been unable to attract a single complaint about him, pro-family groups are citing liberal interests' objections to his former association with their efforts as a reason.

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"They want to demonize Christians, and they're willing to play hardball," Pete LaBarbera, spokesman for the Illinois Family Institute, told WND.

Campion, who at one point served on the IFI board, had been hired by the Minneapolis department to provide screening services for police officers, and he did that work until City Councilor Scott Benson demanded an investigation into his participation in the IFI, which advertises that it is for upholding marriage and family, life and liberty.

City officials say Campion was suspended from his work during that time, then reinstated because there were no complaints, only to be told the department's procedure was being changed and he was no longer needed.

"The chief, when there was an allegation of bias, the chief looked into it," Minneapolis police Lt. Greg Reinhardt told WND. "No complaint came forward. But he stated that in the future, all such services will be contracted under an RFP process, request for proposal, that is being developed."

He said he did not know when that process would be completed. But he said Campion was not working under a contract, but only providing services as a "vendor," and any "vendor" is free to submit proposals for the RFP process.

But LaBarbera said Campion's difficulty was that he was run over by a strong homosexual lobby in the city. He said his own organization also took a hit from a Minneapolis news report that said the IFI opposes civil rights for gays.

"The position we take on a sexual orientation law is that by making a right based on sexual behavior it doesn't fit the traditional civil rights model," he said.

A similar situation had developed a short time earlier with Campion and the city of Springfield, Ill., where he had provided screening for both police and fire department hirings.

"Obviously he's being treated because of his Christian association in the past," LaBarbera said. "People all over the nation have to be watching this case with a great amount of care. If you go to the Catholic church that believes homosexuality is a disorder, does that mean you can't have a federal job?"

He said simple logic confirms that one cannot determine rights on "how people have sex."

Campion had been investigated because of the single councilman's concern, but then when he was "reinstated" Campion said he'd been scheduled to do a "big batch" of testing in Minneapolis.

Then, suddenly, he was told his services weren't needed.

"Dr. Campion’s right to freedom of association is being sacrificed on the altar of political correctness," David Smith, Executive Director of IFI, said. "Does one have to embrace the homosexual activist and abortion causes to be able to exercise their First Amendment rights?"

"The liberal 'diversity' lobby is going after Mike because of his deeply-held religious and moral beliefs. In fact, no homosexual police officers have come forward with charges of bias," LaBarbera said. "How ironic that the forces of 'tolerance' are now leading a new assault on civil rights, this time against people of faith."

The original report that created issues for Campion was in a newspaper in Illinois that said he worked with the "anti-choice and anti-gay" IFI. Campion now is preparing to challenge in court his dismissal from his work in Springfield.

Smith said this is the type of danger created when special rights are given to a group of people based on their sexual behavior.

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