Judge orders University of Iowa to temporarily reinstate expelled Christian group

A federal judge has ordered the University of Iowa (UI) to temporarily reinstate a Christian group that was expelled last year for refusing to appoint an openly gay student to a leadership position.

Judge Stephanie M. Rose has ordered the school to reinstate Business Leaders in Christ (BLinC) as a student organization within 90 days, arguing that the school appeared to have failed to enforce its non-discrimination policy evenly among other groups.

"BLinC's motion is granted based solely upon the university's selective enforcement of an otherwise reasonable and viewpoint neutral nondiscrimination policy," the judge's order stated, according to The Gazette.

The Christian group's status as a student organization was revoked after a student claimed that he was ousted because he was openly gay. BLinC, however, contended that the student was rejected because he refused to uphold the group's core ideals.

BLinC, which focuses on service in the community and Bible studies, allows anyone to attend its meetings. However, the group requires its leaders to vow to uphold its statement of faith, which says they "should conduct their careers without the greed, racism, sexual immorality, and selfishness that all too often arise in business, political, and cultural institutions."

UI had accused BLinC of violating the school's Human Rights Policy, which prohibits discrimination based on sexual orientation. As a de-registered group, BLinC was prevented from reserving campus rooms, setting up recruitment fairs and receiving funding from student activity fees.

Rose said that the university appeared to be targeting BLinC when it decided to revoke its status as a student organization.

"In light of this selective enforcement, the Court finds BLinC has established the requisite fair chance of prevailing on the merits of its claims under the Free Speech Clause," she wrote.

The judge's order would allow the student group to recruit at a fair in the Iowa Memorial Union.

"The court has told the University of Iowa to stop discriminating against BLinC because of its religious beliefs," said Eric Baxter, senior counsel for the Becket Fund for Religious Liberty, a D.C. law firm representing BLinC.

"Public universities can't tell religious student groups what to believe or who to pick as their leaders," he added.

The university issued a statement saying it "respects the decision of the court" and has already extended an invitation to BLinC to participate in the fair, but noted that it "will not comment on the merits of the case per its policy on pending litigation."