Virginia State University accused of suppressing Christian student ministries while Muslim groups are exempt
Virginia State University (VSU) is facing a federal lawsuit from two Christian student organizations that say the school stripped them of their official campus status and placed them under the direct authority of a university-appointed minister."Higher education has really broke from its long-standing desire to promote intellectual diversity and to actually seek truth and instead, they are essentially telling students that any disagreement that certain speech is violence, and that hearing difference of opinions on important topics is actually not encouraged, it's actually discouraged," Alliance Defending Freedom (ADF) senior counsel Tyson Langhofer told Fox News Digital."I think that higher education is really failing in its primary role, which is to educate the next generation into how to deal with living in a pluralistic society with people who have different opinions," he added.30% OF COLLEGE STUDENTS SAY VIOLENCE ACCEPTABLE WAY TO STOP SPEAKERS ON CAMPUSES, SURVEY FINDSVirginia State University is facing a federal lawsuit after allegedly stripping two Christian student organizations of their official campus status and placing them under the direct authority of a university-appointed minister.(USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect)Attorneys with ADF filed the lawsuit on behalf of campus chapters for Women of Victory and Bethel Campus Fellowship.
The lawsuit challenges VSU’s updated Campus Ministries Policy, which plaintiffs argue violates the First Amendment by forcing Christian student groups under university control while granting exemptions to non-Christian religious groups.According to the policy, all Christian student-led ministries must operate under the "governance and influence" of VSU Campus Minister Thomas Wynn and an advisory board made up of faculty and university personnel.Additionally, the rule bans student ministries from affiliating with their national parent organizations.Langhofer told Fox News Digital that the policy unconstitutionally pena...