Religious
lawsuit filed against csu system
By Allison Baldwin
Online Forty-Niner
Contributing writer
The Alliance Defense Fund filed a civil rights suit last week against the California
State University system on behalf of four Christian groups at Cal State Long
Beach and Cal State San Diego.
The suit was filed against many prominent members of the CSU system, including
members of the Board of Trustees, new CSULB President F. King Alexander, Lieutenant
Gov. Cruz Bustamante and Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger. Every
Nation Campus Ministries at San Diego University vs. Achtenberg, filed on Dec.
3, accuses the campuses of discriminating against Christian student groups by
requiring them to accept members who disagree with the clubs’ beliefs.
On-campus non-discrimination policies keep Christian organizations from using
religious beliefs as a determination for eligibility by granting the right to
meet on campus, use the campus for communication and receive university funding
only to groups which allow interested students to join, regardless of their religion.
The protesting groups, which include Every Nation Campus Ministries, Fraternity
Alpha Gamma Omega-Epsilon and Sorority Alpha Delta Chi-Delta, said the system
is discriminating against them by forcing them to accept members who do not share
their beliefs and that by regulating who they allow to become members, the university
is violating their First Amendment rights.
According to a New Media Alliance publication, Jeremy Tedesco, litigation staff
counsel for the Alliance Defense fund said, “University officials would
never require that the student vegetarian club allow meat eaters or hunters to
lead their organization. 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.”
The plaintiffs are seeking relief from university policies they believe are discriminatory
as well as nominal damages and monetary relief to be used toward the cost of
litigation.
In reaction to the suit, freshman international studies student Margaret Wood
said, “It’s ridiculous. The Chinese club has to accept people who
aren’t of Chinese origin, and Beach team is open to everyone who wants
to join. Why should Christian clubs have the right to exclude people?”
Vice-President of Student Services Douglas Robinson, was unable to be reached
for comment.
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