Harvard Places Christian Group on Probation for Pressuring Gay Leader to Resign

The Harvard College Faith and Action group is on “administrative probation” for a year after the group pressured a leader of the group to resign because of a same-sex relationship.

“After a thorough review and finding that HCFA had conducted itself in a manner grossly inconsistent with the expectations clearly outlined in [the Office of Student Life’s] Student Organization Resource and Policy Guide, OSL has placed HCFA on a one year administrative probation,” said Harvard College spokesman Aaron M. Goldman.

HCFA co-presidents Scott Ely and Molly L. Richmond said the group was placed on probation because of their “standards for leaders.”

“We reject any notion that we discriminate on the basis of sexual orientation in our fellowship,” the co-presidents wrote in an email Wednesday. “Broadly speaking, the student in this case was removed because of an irreconcilable theological disagreement pertaining to our character standards.”

Richmond also told The Boston Globe: “To be clear, we are an autonomous student group, and we do not discriminate on the basis of sexual orientation.”

In September, HCFA leadership reportedly asked for the resignation of a female Bible course leader in the group after they found she was dating another female student, according to The Harvard Crimson.

The Harvard College Student Handbook says that…