Wayne State U. Reaches Settlement With Pro-Life student Group

Christian Law Journal-

Posted by editorial staff on Aug 14th, 2009 and filed under Religious Freedom. You can follow any responses to this story through the RSS 2.0. Share your thoughts and leave a comment.

Joseph Martins serves as litigation staff counsel with the Alliance Defense Fund Center for Academic Freedom at its Tennessee Regional Service Center in Columbia, Tennessee.

Wayne State University has settled a lawsuit filed by the campus pro-life student group which said the university discriminated against them.

Wayne State University (WSU) who lists “integrity” as one of its principls on the schools seal, has agreed to change its unconstitutional student fee and facilities use policies and pay back previously denied student fee funds.

Last year WSU, located in Michigan, refused to allow the Students for Life group have the same access to student fees and facilities as other student groups.

Andrea Bezaire, president of Students for Life at WSU, submitted a budget request to the schools Budget Committee to help fund the group’s Pro-Life Week 2008 events.

The committee denied the request because of the “spiritual and religious programming references” and added that the group’s message “cross[ed] the line of political advocacy.”

In response, Bezaire’s removed all religious references in order to meet the budget committee’s demands and resubmitted the request.

The university replied by denying the group’s entire budget request, with some student council members stating that the subject matter of the group’s events was inappropriate and offensive to women who had an abortion.

The Students for Life claimed foul and contacted attorneys with the Alliance Defence Fund (ADF).

ADF attorneys filed a lawsuit against university officials, challenging the constitutionality of the univesity’s policy, which excludes student groups with religious views from benefits that are extended to student groups with nonreligious views.

“Pro-life student groups shouldn’t be penalized for expressing their beliefs,” said ADF Litigation Staff Counsel Joseph Martins. “Public universities cannot discriminate against student organizations simply because of their religious or political viewpoints, and we are pleased that Wayne State has now come to this understanding.”

Also revised as part of the settlement was WSU’s reservation policy, which denied Students for Life access to a room because the university officials declared the group’s pro-life event “unsuitable.” The lawsuit, Wayne State University Students for Life v. Driker, was filed in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan

Wayne State University (WSU) who lists “integrity” as one of its principls on the schools seal, has agreed to change its unconstitutional student fee and facilities use policies and pay back previously denied student fee funds.

Last year WSU, located in Michigan, refused to allow the Students for Life group have the same access to student fees and facilities as other student groups.

Andrea Bezaire, president of Students for Life at WSU, submitted a budget request to the schools Budget Committee to help fund the group’s Pro-Life Week 2008 events.

The committee denied the request because of the “spiritual and religious programming references” and added that the group’s message “cross[ed] the line of political advocacy.”

In response, Bezaire’s removed all religious references in order to meet the budget committee’s demands and resubmitted the request.

The university replied by denying the group’s entire budget request, with some Student Council members stating that the subject matter of the group’s events was inappropriate and offensive to women who had an abortion.

Interestingly, the Student Council claims on its website that it is a “non-discriminatory non-partisan representative body of students.”

The Students for Life claimed foul and contacted attorneys with the Alliance Defence Fund (ADF).

ADF attorneys filed a lawsuit against university officials, challenging the constitutionality of the university’s policy, which excludes student groups with religious views from benefits that are extended to student groups with nonreligious views.

“Pro-life student groups shouldn’t be penalized for expressing their beliefs,” said ADF Litigation Staff Counsel Joseph Martins. “Public universities cannot discriminate against student organizations simply because of their religious or political viewpoints, and we are pleased that Wayne State has now come to this understanding.”

Also revised as part of the settlement was WSU’s reservation policy, which denied Students for Life access to a room because the university officials declared the group’s pro-life event “unsuitable.”

Complaint: Wayne State University Students for Life v. Driker, in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan