University of Iowa officials who booted a Christian club off campus can be held personally liable and forced to pay damages out of their own pockets because they failed to follow an earlier court decision, a federal judge ruled Friday.
The ruling by U.S. District Judge Stephanie M. Rose – who was nominated by President Obama – could have an impact across the country, according to the Becket Fund for Religious Liberty, which filed the suit.
The university was trying to prevent InterVarsity Christian Fellowship from requiring its leaders to share the group’s beliefs. Such a requirement, Becket argued, could have led to a non-Christian leading InterVarsity.
At issue is a university requirement that groups affirm a human rights policy banning discrimination on the basis of religion, sexual orientation and gender identity, among other classes.
“It’s too bad it took twice for the University to learn its lesson,” said Daniel Blomberg, senior counsel at Becket. “There was no excuse the first time for squashing students’ First Amendment rights. University officials nationwide should now take note that religious discrimination will hit them in the pocketbook.”
The controversy began in 2017 when the University of Iowa kicked another group – Business Leaders in Christ – off campus because its statement of faith required…
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