One Way Tolerance
Published on July 29, 2010 By KFC Kickin For Christ In Current Events

Religion

Court Upholds Expulsion of Counseling Student Who Opposes Homosexuality

By Todd Starnes

Published July 28, 2010 

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A federal judge has ruled in favor of a public university that removed a Christian student from its graduate program in school counseling over her belief that homosexuality is morally wrong. Monday's ruling, according to Julea Ward's attorneys, could result in Christian students across the country being expelled from public university for similar views.

“It’s a very dangerous precedent,” Jeremy Tedesco, legal counsel for the conservative Alliance Defense Fund, told FOX News Radio. “The ruling doesn’t say that explicitly, but that’s what is going to happen.”

U.S. District Judge George Caram Steeh dismissed Ward’s lawsuit against Eastern Michigan University. She was removed from the school’s counseling program last year because she refused to counsel homosexual clients.

The university contended she violated school policy and the American Counseling Association code of ethics.

“Christian students shouldn’t be expelled for holding to and abiding by their beliefs,” said ADF senior counsel David French. “To reach its decision, the court had to do something that’s never been done in federal court: uphold an extremely broad and vague university speech code.”

Eastern Michigan University hailed the decision.

“We are pleased that the court has upheld our position in this matter,” EMU spokesman Walter Kraft said in a written statement. “Julea Ward was not discriminated against because of her religion. To the contrary, Eastern Michigan is deeply committed to the education of our students and welcomes individuals from diverse backgrounds into our community.”

In his 48-page opinion, Judge Steeh said the university had a rational basis for adopting the ACA Code of Ethics.

“Furthermore, the university had a rational basis for requiring students to counsel clients without imposing their personal values,” he wrote in a portion of his ruling posted by The Detroit News. “In the case of Ms. Ward, the university determined that she would never change her behavior and would consistently refuse to counsel clients on matters with which she was personally opposed due to her religious beliefs – including homosexual relationships.”

Ward’s attorneys claim the university told her she would only be allowed to remain in the program if she went through a “remediation” program so that she could “see the error of her ways” and change her belief system about homosexuality.

The case is similar to a lawsuit the ADF filed against Augusta State University in Georgia. Counseling student Jennifer Keeton was allegedly told to stop sharing her Christian beliefs in order to graduate.

Keeton's lawsuit alleged that she was told to undergo a reeducation program and attend “diversity sensitivity training.”

University officials declined to comment on specifics of the lawsuit but released a statement to FOX News that said Augusta State does not discriminate on the basis of students’ moral, religious, political or personal beliefs.

Tedesco said both cases should be a warning to Christians attending public colleges and universities.

“Public universities are imposing the ideological stances of private groups on their students,” he said. “If you don’t comply, you will be kicked out. It’s scary stuff and it’s not a difficult thing to see what’s coming down the pike.”


Comments
on Jul 29, 2010

I've been watching the case in Georgia.  Didn't even know about this one. 

It's interesting how the first tactic is to send the offenders to "sensitivity training" so they can be "better educated" about the issue.  I can think of another name for "sensitivity training"  only it's not quite so palatable. 

The last statement of the article is what many Christians are fearful of today.  There's a buzz going around in the Christian circles that soon we will have to abandon our churches because it's only a matter of time before they will be kicked out of their own churches as well for not tolerating the homosexual agenda. 

 

 

 

on Jul 29, 2010

I'm curious who the Democrats throw under the bus... the black constituency or the gay constituency? Friends to all, loyal to none.

on Jul 30, 2010

I do not think it will stand on appeal.  Michigan is not part of the 9th Circus.

on Jul 30, 2010

If they throw them under the bus Nitro where will they all go after they get up and dust themselves off? 

Doc,  this type of thing is exactly why my eldest son kept his mouth shut when he was a post grad working on this doctorate.  Now that he's got it he can breath (as well as talk) a bit more easily. 

This shows that Ben Stein was right after all.  Only Stein was dealing with the Scientific academia in his documentary "Expelled."   We can see by these cases that it's not limited to the Science world. 

What about freedom of religion and freedom of speech?  Where'd that go? 

Tolerence only goes one way these days.  You either get on board with certain agendas or you're out. 

on Jul 30, 2010

If they throw them under the bus Nitro where will they all go after they get up and dust themselves off?

The left seems to ready accept abusive relationships. How many times have Democrats let down core constituents, yet they still  continue to vote them in? 

on Jul 30, 2010

Odd.  Pharmacists may decline to fill Plan B on religious grounds, provided another willing pharmacist is available.  That's been adjudicated & is settled law.

As long as other counselors were available & willing to counsel homosexuals, her religious-based choice should have been respected by EMU.  Unless there's some meaningful difference between the two situations I'm unaware of, she should be successful on appeal.  Provided her lawyers don't screw it up somehow.