UVA DENIES CHRISTIAN GROUP’S REQUEST FOR FUNDING
The University of Virginia refused to provide funding for leaders of Agape Christian Fellowship to attend a national
conference on the grounds that the conference activities were too religious and social in nature. Agape is the
University of Virginia affiliate of Campus Crusade for Christ, a worldwide interdenominational Christian student
organization. Each year, Campus Crusade holds a 5,000-student national conference in Panama City, Florida, called “Big
Break.” Agape leaders sought funding for bus fare and lodging costs associated with the conference.
The policy the University invoked to deny the funding, which prohibits appropriations for “religious activity,”
discriminates against Agape’s religious viewpoint and hence is unconstitutional. Agape appealed the University’s
decision, and Center attorney Steven H. Aden attended the appeal hearing with Agape representatives on April 29, 2004.
We expect the University to announce whether or not they will overturn their initial decision within a few weeks.
CLS JOINS AMICUS BRIEF TO DEFEND CONSTITUTIONALITY OF RLUIPA
CLS joined a “friend of the court” brief filed in the Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit in Benning v. State of
Georgia in an effort to defend RLUIPA’s constitutionality. Richard Menard, Gene Schaerr and Gregory Taylor of Sidley,
Austin, Brown & Wood's religious practice group authored the brief. Prison Fellowship Ministries, the American Civil
Liberties Union, and the Aleph Institute, among others, also joined as amici.
The brief rebuts Georgia’s argument that Congress exceeded its power and violated the Establishment Clause when it
enacted the prisoner protection provision of RLUIPA. The brief urges the Eleventh Circuit to affirm a federal district
court's decision requiring the State of Georgia to accommodate the religious needs of a state prisoner, Ralph Benning,
who is Jewish.
Amicus Brief
CENTER DIRECTOR WILL PARTICIPATE IN LAW AND FAITH CONFERENCE
On May 20, Center Director Greg Baylor will participate in a conference entitled, “Law and Faith: Legal Issues Facing
Today’s Religious Organizations.” The conference will be held at American University’s Washington College of Law in
Washington, DC. You can find more information regarding the conference in the brochure below or at
www.wcl.american.edu/secle/.
CONFERENCE BROCHURE
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