Group of Christian students wins against the University of Iowa in case of religious freedom

Neetu Chandak | Education and Policy Reporter

A judge ruled Wednesday that the University of Iowa can not revoke its recognition of a group of Christian students based on its declaration of faith, which demanded leaders recognize that sexual relationships did not occur outside of marriage and of all the people necessary to embrace their "God-given sex."

The Business Leaders in Christ (BLinC) were formed by the students of the university's Tippie College of Business to provide a space for Christian students to network, hold group discussions and "keep Christ first in the fast-paced world of business." , according to a declaration of interests of the Department of Justice filed on December 21, 2018.

The group stopped receiving recognition from the university in November 2017 due to the declaration of faith, which according to the public university violated its anti-discrimination policy. BLinC could regain recognition if religious beliefs were changed, according to the Becket Fund for Religious Freedom

"The university wanted a license to discriminate, and Judge Rose said nothing," said the vice president and principal advisor Becket's Eric Baxter in a statement, obtained by The Daily Caller News Foundation through non-profit media relations associate Ryan Colby.

USA Judge of the District Court for the Southern District of Iowa, Stephanie Rose, said in the decision that the university allowed certain groups on campus to restrict access according to their requirements. One organization, Love Works, demanded leaders to sign "a statement of affirmative Christian faith of homosexuals." Another group, Casa de Lorde, interviewed potential members to ensure there is "a space for individuals who complain about black."

"The Constitution does not tolerate the way in which the accused chose to enforce the human rights policy," the decision says. "Particularly when it comes to freedom of expression, the unequal application of any policy runs the risk of the most demanding rule of judicial control, which the accused have not been able to withstand." [RELACIONADO: Trump Stands, por Karen Pence, para la enseñanza en la escuela cristiana]

Jake Estell, part of BLinC, said in a statement obtained by TheDCNF through Colby that the decision guarantees that all students can freely express different views.

"This victory reinforces the commonsense idea that universities can not target groups of religious students because they are religious," Estell said.

The university plans to follow the court's decision, according to the Des Moines Registry.

The University of Iowa did not immediately respond to the request for comments from TheDCNF.

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