The U.S. 8sth Circuit Court of Appeals yesterday heard oral arguments in Business Leaders in Christ v. University of Iowa. (Audio of full oral arguments.) In the case, an Iowa federal district court granted a permanent injunction to a Christian student group that was denied Registered Student Organization status. The denial was based on the University's Human Rights Policy that prohibits discrimination, among other things, on the basis of sexual orientation. The court concluded that this violated plaintiff's free expression rights. However the court held that individual defendants in the case had qualified immunity in an action for damages against them because "the Court cannot say the constitutional issues were established 'beyond debate.'." (See prior related posting.)
