Lawsuit Claims College Ordered Student to Alter Religious Views on Homosexuality, Or Be Dismissed
I was more than a little disturbed when I read that. The government has no right to make a law regarding religion, is it right for a state university to make a rule regarding a student's religion?
From the text of Joshua Rhett Miller's article:
A graduate student in Georgia is suing her university after she was told she must undergo a remediation program due to her beliefs on homosexuality and transgendered persons.
The student, Jennifer Keeton, 24, has been pursuing a master's degree in school counseling at Augusta State University since 2009, but school officials have informed her that she'll be dismissed from the program unless she alters her "central religious beliefs on human nature and conduct,"
Now, this is not a statement about my own personal beliefs about homosexuality, I will not be addressing that in this post. This is simply about whether or not a university has the right to deny someone an education based on their religious beliefs. I personally find it to be absolutely abhorrent that a university would even threaten such action. Since when have we lost the right to voice opinions in the classroom. Now, I could understand a little more if the person consistently made hateful, bigoted remarks in class, but Miss Keeton did nothing of the sort.
Another excerpt from the article:
The Code of Ethics prohibits counselors from discriminating based on a number of factors, including gender identity and sexual orientation. "Counselors do not discriminate against clients, students,employees, supervisees, or research participants in a manner that has a negative impact on these persons," the code says.
Keeton's lawsuit alleges that the university's remediation plan noted Keeton's "disagreement in several class discussions and in written assignments with the gay and lesbian 'lifestyle,'" as well as Keeton's belief that those "lifestyles" are cases of identity confusion
This begs the question: Does disagreement automatically amount to discrimination? I would suggest that it does not. I can disagree with the lifestyle choices a person makes without refusing them service. So what is the real issue here? Are they really afraid that Miss Keeton will discriminate against people in her practice simply based on sexual orientation? Or are they simply trying to promote "political correctness"? If both sides of the issue can no longer be discussed in a class, what is the point of discussion at all. Ultimately I agree with Miss Keaton's lawyer David French.
From the article:
"A student has a right to express their point of view in and out of class without fear or censorship or expulsion," French said
That's what it comes down to. A student has a right to have and share a point of view without fear of persecution by their educational institution. I hope that educational institutions everywhere see this case and remember that it is not their job to dictate belief, merely to give education, and stay in their place.
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