Christian Groups Sue Colleges Over Membership Requirements

On Monday, the Alliance Defense Fund filed a civil rights lawsuit against San Diego (California) State University and California State University, Long Beach, on behalf of four student Christian groups. (Full text of complaint.) The universities refuse to give formal recognition to the groups because the organizations limit their membership to Christians. Each of the universities has a non-discrimination policy that prohibits recognized student groups from restricting membership on the basis of race, religion, national origin, as well as on various other grounds. The lawsuit alleges that these policies force Christian groups to abandon their Christian beliefs as a condition to gain access to the benefits recognized student groups enjoy, such as meeting on campus, receiving university funding, and accessing the on-campus channels for communicating their message. (ADF release on suit.) In reporting on the suit, 10News said that other campus groups like the Muslim Student Association welcome students of all faiths. SDSU's paper, The Daily Aztec quotes ADF lawyer Jordan Lorence who said, "What has happened today with this lawsuit against (SDSU) and Cal State Long Beach has been a problem that has been happening all over the country."