A Christian student organization filed a federal civil-rights lawsuit against Washburn University School of Law in Topeka, Kan., yesterday after officials revoked its funding in response to a complaint from a Mormon who was not allowed to teach a group-sponsored Bible study.
According to a statement from the Center for Law and Religious Freedom, the advocacy arm for the group in question, the Christian Legal Society, Washburn law student Daniel Arkell cited university policy and filed a charge of religious discrimination in April against the school’s CLS chapter.
Arkell, a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, had led a CLS Bible study earlier in the semester, where, the legal group says, he advocated religious beliefs that were inconsistent with CLS’ statement of faith. Leaders of the chapter subsequently told him he would not be allowed to lead CLS-sponsored Bible studies in the future.
According to the statement, Arkell in his complaint detailed his disagreement with all five points of the CLS statement of faith. Following a hearing, the Washburn Student Bar Association acquiesced to Arkell and revoked CLS’ funding on Sept. 2.
“Washburn’s action is an outrageous affront to religious freedom,” stated Gregory S. Baylor, director of the Center for Law & Religious Freedom, located in Annandale, Va. “Washburn is trying to force CLS to sponsor a Bible study leader who explicitly rejects CLS’ religious message.”
Continued Baylor: “Punishing CLS for preserving its religious identity is a bizarre misapplication of university non-discrimination rules. What will the university do next? Punish the College Democrats for preferring Democrats? Washburn should respect the constitutionally protected right of students to band together around shared ideals.”
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