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Christian Legal Society, SIUC end two-year battle

by ashley wiehle, the southern

Thursday, May 24, 2007 7:24 AM CDT

CARBONDALE - A two-year battle between a Christian student group and Southern Illinois University Carbondale has resulted in the group being reinstated and a $10,000 scholarship fund.

The Christian Legal Society in April 2005 filed a lawsuit against the university after SIUC revoked the local chapter's registration on the grounds that the group's statement of faith and sexual morality standards followed by voting members and leaders violated a university affirmative action policy.

However, a recent settlement between the university and the group allows the Christian Legal Society to operate as a valid student organization.

The university in the settlement agreed to provide a $10,000 scholarship for Lesar Law School. The scholarship will be awarded to students selected by the Christian Legal Society and the university.

Casey Mattox, litigation counsel for the Center for Law and Religious Freedom for the Christian Legal Society, said the university had previously banned the group from operating on campus.

"They were de-recognized," Mattox said. "Their adviser was taken away. They were told to take everything out of storage at the law school and to change the name. They were told they couldn't use bulletin boards. It was as close as you could get to physically lifting them and taking them off campus as you can get."

The settlement comes after the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit determined in July 2006 that the university had to recognize the local chapter of the Christian Legal Society while the case was still pending in court.

Christian Legal Society leaders and members are opposed to sexual behavior outside of a traditional marriage between a man and a woman, including premarital sex, adultery and homosexuality.

According to the group's "Membership Statement of Faith and Sexual Morality Standards," believing or participating in "acts of the sinful nature" makes one ineligible to be a voting member or leader within the organization.

The mission also states that a voting member is "bound to engage members who are involved in sexual immorality in a dialogue leading to repentance."

Rod Sievers, spokesman for SIUC, said the settlement is important to the university's mission.

"The university does believe the settlement balances the rights of persons with the goals of the state and university," Sievers said.

Sievers said religious groups campuswide can restrict their voting membership but not their overall membership.

"Student religious organizations can limit their leadership and voting membership to people who share their beliefs," Sievers said.

ashley.wiehle@thesouthern.com

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