Christian Law Group Loses Fight For Law School Funding

Like proverbial pigs at the trough, self-styled "Christian" organizations at colleges and universities often seek funding from the educational institutions where they are based even though the organizations discriminate as to who can join the organization. In my view it is all too typical of the Christianist mindset to think they are special and should not operate by the same rules as other organizations that receive funding from the educational institution - namely that they must accept any student seeking to join. Fortunately, the courts are increasingly giving these "Christian" groups a much needed smack down and upholding the right of educational institutions to refuse funding to discriminatory student organizations. The latest such case involves the University of California Hastings Law School which refused funding to a Christian student group because it excludes gays, lesbians and non-Christians. Leading the charge for the wingnuts was the always litigious Christianist Alliance Defense Fund. Naturally, the disingenuous Christianists claim they are being discriminated against. That line is a lie: they can set whatever criteria they want for members, just do not expect public funds form the educational institution to fund it. Here are some highlights from the San Francisco Chronicle on the court's smack down:

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UC Hastings College of the Law can deny recognition and funding to a Christian student group because it excludes gays, lesbians and non-Christians, a federal appeals court ruled Tuesday. The San Francisco law school is entitled to require official student organizations to "accept all comers as members, even if those individuals disagree with the mission of the group," the Ninth U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in San Francisco ruled. It said the school's policy is "viewpoint-neutral" and does not violate the rights of theChristian Legal Society.

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The brief ruling cited the court's decision last year allowing a Washington state high school to deny recognition to a student Bible club that required members to endorse its religious creed. Last week, the club asked the U.S. Supreme Court to review that case.

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Ethan Schulman, a lawyer for UC Hastings, said Tuesday's ruling allows the school to apply its nondiscrimination policy to any group seeking recognition and a share of the funding that goes to organizations from mandatory student fees. The Christian Legal Society's arguments "would carve a gaping loophole in those nondiscrimination policies" and "force the law school to subsidize discriminatory groups," Schulman said.

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The Hastings chapter, Hastings Christian Fellowship, was initially open to all students and was eligible for funding, office space and inclusion in official publications. Starting in 2004, however, the chapter - apparently following a new national policy - required members to endorse a "statement of faith" and barred anyone who engaged in "unrepentant homosexual conduct."