The University of Iowa must temporarily reinstate a Christian student group after the group was punished for denying a leadership role in the group to a gay student.
Judge Stephanie Marie Rose of the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Iowa ruled this week that the Business Leaders in Christ’s request for a preliminary injunction be granted and ordered that the school reinstate the group as a registered campus student organization for at least 90 days.
“The court agreed that the university has to stop discriminating against BLinC because of its religious beliefs,” Eric Baxter, a senior counsel with the religious freedom law firm Becket, which is representing BlinC in the case, said in a statement. “Every other group on campus gets to select leaders who embrace their mission. Religious groups don’t get second-class treatment.”
As ChristianHeadlines.com previously reported, the group filed a lawsuit against the school in December after they were told they could no longer be a campus organization because they had violated the school’s discrimination policy.
The group had asked the gay student to accept the club’s statement of faith that opposed homosexuality before assuming the leadership position.
Rose wrote in her decision that the University of Iowa doesn’t apply its policy fairly.
“[T]he court must conclude on the current…
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