Roman Catholic Foundation Files New Suit Against Univeristy of Wisconsin

Last May, a lawsuit brought against the University of Wisconsin (UW) by the Roman Catholic Foundation (RCF) was settled. In the settlement, UW agreed to recognize RCF and recommend funding for it, while RCF agreed it would not seek University funding for events requiring the direct control of ordained clergy. (See prior posting.) Yesterday, RCF filed a new lawsuit against the University. (ADF press release.) The complaint (full text) in Roman Catholic Foundation, U-W Madison, Inc. v. Planton, (WD WI, filed 9/10/2007) alleges that the University has:

refused to fund any religious expression of RCF because Defendants believed that doing so gave state funds to "the Church." ... Defendant ... told RCF that the [settlement] Agreement was inapplicable.... UW-Madison officials ... stated that they will not fund any of RCF’s religious expression that involves "worship," "prayer," and/or "proselytizing...." Essentially, Defendants assumed a line-item veto power—in direct contradiction of the Agreement—over RCF’s previously approved budgets. Defendants have not applied this same level of scrutiny to other student organizations at UW-Madison.

By treating RCF differently than other similarly situated student organizations, and announcing that RCF cannot receive segregated fee funding for religiously expressive activities, Defendants have repudiated the Agreement, [and] violated RCF’s constitutional rights for a second time in a year....

Yesterday's Rhinelander Daily News reports additional details of the lawsuit.