December 18, 2007

University of Montana Law School Derecognizes CLS Student Chapter,
Center Answers With Lawsuit

Center attorneys filed suit last Friday in Federal District Court in Missoula, Montana, challenging the University of Montana School of Law's decision to derecognize a Christian Legal Society student chapter. The Student Bar Association, the law school's student governing body, originally recognized the chapter. However, after some students and faculty members complained, the SBA derecognized the chapter and excluded it from receiving student activities funds that are available to other law school student organizations. The SBA and the School of Law have refused to respond to multiple requests by the chapter to explain the basis for its derecognition, but students and faculty who opposed CLS recognition claimed that the chapter's view that its voting members and leaders should not engage in sexual relationships outside of marriage was "discrimination." The law school's Dean upheld this decision.

The complaint filed in Christian Legal Society v. Eck in the U.S. District Court for Montana, Missoula Division, can be viewed at www.telladf.org.

Center Staff to Address Coalition to Preserve Religious Freedom on Efforts to Stop ENDA in the Senate

Senior Counsel Steven H. Aden, along with Erika Heikkila, Legislative Aid to the Republican House Minority Leader, will discuss possible strategies for advocacy in the Senate on the Employment Non- Discrimination Act of 2007 (ENDA) in a Capitol Hill briefing to be held on December 19th. ENDA would amend Title VII of the 1964 civil rights act to add "sexual orientation" to the list of statuses protected from employment discrimination. ENDA passed the House this Fall with a limited exception for religious organizations and institutions included, is expected to be taken up by the Senate in the Spring.

 

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.

Make a DonationSupport through PrayerVisit the Center's Web Page

You are receiving this Email as part of a subscription to Defender Online, the email newsletter of Christian Legal Society's Center for Law & Religious Freedom. If you would like to be removed from this listserve, please reply to this email with "UNSUBSCRIBE" in the Subject line or email defenderonline@clsnet.org.