Universities Under Attack

Here are two stories of universities that are being sued for requiring their graduate students to learn the material and meet the standard held by the Department. One suit was won by the university, the other has just been filed and has yet to be argued and decided.

Fox goes red in the face:

A federal judge has ruled in favor of a public university that removed a Christian student from its graduate program in school counseling over her belief that homosexuality is morally wrong. Monday's ruling, according to Julea Ward's attorneys, could result in Christian students across the country being expelled from public university for similar views.

“It’s a very dangerous precedent,” Jeremy Tedesco, legal counsel for the conservative Alliance Defense Fund, told FOX News Radio. “The ruling doesn’t say that explicitly, but that’s what is going to happen.”

U.S. District Judge George Caram Steeh dismissed Ward’s lawsuit against Eastern Michigan University. She was removed from the school’s counseling program last year because she refused to counsel homosexual clients.

The university contended she violated school policy and the American Counseling Association code of ethics.

“Christian students shouldn’t be expelled for holding to and abiding by their beliefs,” said ADF senior counsel David French. “To reach its decision, the court had to do something that’s never been done in federal court: uphold an extremely broad and vague university speech code.” Court Upholds Expulsion of Counseling Student Who Opposes Homosexuality

Change a couple of words: A university's graduate program in physics kicked out a Christian student because she believes the big bang theory is immoral... A university's graduate program in biology kicked out a Christian student because she believes evolution is immoral...

People, this is education. University professors are experts in their fields, this isn't a debate over values or opinions or anything else. If you're going to get your graduate degree in something you are going to study hard, you are going to listen to your professors, you are going to understand what they are saying and if you want to pass your courses you are going to write papers and conduct research that satisfies them.

If you don't meet the standard you don't get the degree. This student doesn't meet the standard. It's as simple as that. Academic standards are not for the courts to decide -- you don't want judges deciding what is the best way to solve quadratic equations and you don't want them telling the Counseling Department what to teach, either. Academic knowledge is not up for a public vote, and is not determined by law.

The university, of course, was pleased with the ruling.

Eastern Michigan University hailed the decision.

“We are pleased that the court has upheld our position in this matter,” EMU spokesman Walter Kraft said in a written statement. “Julea Ward was not discriminated against because of her religion. To the contrary, Eastern Michigan is deeply committed to the education of our students and welcomes individuals from diverse backgrounds into our community.”

In his 48-page opinion, Judge Steeh said the university had a rational basis for adopting the ACA Code of Ethics.

“Furthermore, the university had a rational basis for requiring students to counsel clients without imposing their personal values,” he wrote in a portion of his ruling posted by The Detroit News. “In the case of Ms. Ward, the university determined that she would never change her behavior and would consistently refuse to counsel clients on matters with which she was personally opposed due to her religious beliefs – including homosexual relationships.”

There isn't much in this Fox story about this next thing:

The case is similar to a lawsuit the ADF filed against Augusta State University in Georgia. Counseling student Jennifer Keeton was allegedly told to stop sharing her Christian beliefs in order to graduate.

Keeton's lawsuit alleged that she was told to undergo a reeducation program and attend “diversity sensitivity training.”

I see CNN has this story -- but first, note that the university has declined to issue a statement, while the ADF is posting press releases right and left. This is what happens when you let them throw the first punch:

(CNN) -- A graduate student is suing a Georgia university, alleging that professors are requiring her to change her "biblical views" on homosexuality or be expelled from the counseling program there.

Jennifer Keeton filed a civil rights action in U.S. District Court on July 21 saying Augusta State University violated her "constitutional rights of speech, belief and religious exercise."

The action says university faculty have "promised to expel" Keeton "because she has communicated both inside and outside the classroom that she holds to Christian ethical conviction on matters of human sexuality and gender identity."

After Keeton expressed her views verbally and in written assignments, faculty mandated Keeton complete a "remediation plan."

CNN obtained a copy of the remediation plan from the Alliance Defense Fund, which represents Keeton in the action. The plan addresses issues such as writing ability and organizational skills, as well as Keeton's ability to be a "multiculturally competent counselor, particularly in regard to working with gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender and queer/questioning populations." Student: University wants her to change 'biblical views' on gays

Again, it's simple. If you want an advanced degree from a university you have to earn it. And a reputable university is not going to award a degree to somebody who has demonstrated that they won't even try to meet the standard.

Ministers, priests, rabbis counsel people on the basis of their religious background. Professional counselors learn theories of psychology and techniques in cognitive and client-centered therapies and apply those according to the ethical principles of the professional counseling associations. There is a place for religious counseling, and there is a place for scientifically based professional counseling, and the client needs to know when they go to a professional that that professional will adhere to professional standards. Both of these students have said they would not adhere to professional standards, and their universities should not be expected to award them advanced degrees after they have failed to meet the degree requirements. If they really want to counsel people, but only some people, and only with some objectives, they can apply to a seminary and become religious counselors.

If universities are forced to award degrees to people who do not deserve them then you might as well flush America's educational system down the toilet. Both these stories describe students who have sworn not to learn what they are being taught, both students have vowed to behave unethically if they are awarded their degrees. The argument that a university needs to award a degree to a person who refuses to master the material because of their religion is simply a failure to understand what education is.