Faith-Based Charities Settle Lawsuit with Florida
Florida officials have reached agreement with the Association
of Faith-Based Organizations, amending the rules governing the Florida State
Employees’ Charitable Campaign to protect the constitutional rights of faith-
based charities. Attorneys with Christian Legal Society's Center for Law &
Religious Freedom and the Alliance Defense Fund filed
suit last April alleging that the rules governing the campaign wrongfully
excluded faith-based charities.
Florida’s State Employees’ Charitable Campaign is a state-operated program in
which state employees voluntarily contribute to participating charitable
organizations through payroll deductions. Rules governing the program excluded
any organization engaging in any activity that is “primarily religious” in
nature.
Under the settlement agreement, Florida officials have adopted new
regulations to ensure religious charities, like AFBO’s members, will not be
excluded because of their religious viewpoints or activities. Faith-based
charities will also retain their constitutional and statutory rights to select
staff members who agree with the religious beliefs of the respective
organizations.
Victory for Student Religious Group at University of
Missouri
The University of Missouri has agreed to recognize a Christian fraternity,
Beta Upsilon Chi, as a registered student organization. The university recently
threatened to revoke the fraternity’s official status, claiming the group’s
requirements that officials and members profess the Christian faith is
“religious discrimination.”
Beta Upsilon Chi is a group of Christian college students who wish to foster
fellowship through their common belief in Jesus Christ. Without official
recognition, the group would lack important benefits provided to other student
groups, such as access to meeting space and the ability to advertise on
campus.
After communication with CLS Center attorneys, university officials agreed
not to require the group to establish a religion non-discrimination policy. The
university officials have now agreed to continue recognizing Beta Upsilon Chi as
a registered student organization with all the associated benefits.
The Center for Law & Religious Freedom is the advocacy ministry of the
Christian Legal Society, which is the professional association founded in
1961 of Christian attorneys, judges, law professors, law students, and friends
throughout the United States.
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