Religious Organizations and the Big Challenge at University of Wisconsin System
Hi all,
Back from a summer of rest and special projects.
We currently are having a big challenge with the University of Wisconsin and the ability of our religious groups to sign up as Student Organizations. Basically, we are not allowed to 'discriminate' agains anyone who would like to be a leader on the basis of religion or creed. In other words, it is considered discrimination to require your group leaders to have a certain religious belief.
What a big problem for us. We have been working behind the scenes on this issue for almost a year. Today, I met with the head of the Student Organization - SOO to get a clear understanding of the issue. She was very nice and genuinely wanted to help.
We have been in touch with 'The Allied Defense Fund,' a Christian organization who is helping us as this is really a legal issue.
In our conversions from UW standpoint, this will probably have to come down to a law suit to defend our 1st amendment constitutional rights.
Please pray for us :
1. Wisdom as we try to come to a reasonable solution.
2. That this issue will not be blown out of proportion as it already has. Madison is the capital of Wisconsin and we are in the midst of a governor's race. (Our issue has already been commented on by the challenger.
3. That God would be glorified and that we would develop a stronger relationship with the University because of this. (Only God can do that.)
Below is a recent AP article on how this issue is taking shape:
By Ryan J. FoleyAssociated PressAugust 10, 2006MADISON, Wis. -- Hoping to head off a potential backlash, the University of Wisconsin-Madison on Wednesday defended a decision to refuse to recognize the Knights of Columbus as a student organization.The university cannot recognize the Catholic service organization because the group's policy limiting membership to Catholic men does not comply with state law prohibiting discrimination against students on the basis of religion or creed, said Casey Nagy, a top aide to Chancellor John Wiley.
The group also does not comply with a school rule requiring all student organizations to be controlled by students, he said.After a report on the dispute Tuesday, Republican gubernatorial candidate Mark Green, a member of the Knights of Columbus, called the school's decision "just plain stupid." He noted that the Knights have been active on campus since the 1970s.Nagy said UW-Madison has tightened its enforcement of requirements of non-discrimination and student control as a result of a 2000 U.S. Supreme Court ruling involving its use of student fees. He said six to 12 of the university's 750 recognized student groups will not be in compliance if they do not change policies.
A lack of recognition means a group cannot rent space on campus, recruit students at UW-sponsored events or use the school's name in its title. Such groups also cannot qualify for student fees, although the Knights of Columbus have never been funded.The university's stance could signal that a legal battle looms between the school and religious groups.
Another group, the UW Roman Catholic Foundation, has been in a long-running dispute over whether it can be eligible for student fees.The Alliance Defense Fund's Center for Academic Freedom, a Christian legal group, sent a letter this week demanding UW stop applying non-discrimination policies to Christian student groups. The letter cited the example of the Knights of Columbus as well as the InterVarsity Christian Fellowship, which was not recognized last year by UW-Superior.UW policies do not comply with a federal appeals court ruling last month forcing Southern Illinois University to reinstate the Christian Legal Society despite its requirement that members pledge to adhere to Christian beliefs, the center's director, David French, argued.But Nagy said the UW System has reviewed that ruling and does not believe it has to change current policies to comply.
UW-Madison lobbyists echoed Nagy's arguments in a memo to state lawmakers Wednesday. The Knights of Columbus claims 1.7 million members worldwide and about 39,000 in Wisconsin.The UW memo acknowledged the decision would be controversial but emphasized that "we continue to try to work with the Knights to find a compromise that satisfies state legal requirements."That effort includes working with the group to set up an affiliate organization with different membership policies, Nagy said.However, UW-Madison professor Mark Etzel, the group's campus adviser, said Tuesday that he was angry after he met with a university official last week and she continued to object to the group's proposal for an affiliate. The university has not acted on that application."I feel I am being treated like a second-class citizen for trying to foster a religious group on campus," Etzel wrote in an e-mail to a colleague after the Aug. 2 meeting with Yvonne Fangmeyer, director of the Student Organization Office.Etzel declined to respond to the university's arguments Wednesday, saying the group met Tuesday and decided not to speak further to the media.
Back from a summer of rest and special projects.
We currently are having a big challenge with the University of Wisconsin and the ability of our religious groups to sign up as Student Organizations. Basically, we are not allowed to 'discriminate' agains anyone who would like to be a leader on the basis of religion or creed. In other words, it is considered discrimination to require your group leaders to have a certain religious belief.
What a big problem for us. We have been working behind the scenes on this issue for almost a year. Today, I met with the head of the Student Organization - SOO to get a clear understanding of the issue. She was very nice and genuinely wanted to help.
We have been in touch with 'The Allied Defense Fund,' a Christian organization who is helping us as this is really a legal issue.
In our conversions from UW standpoint, this will probably have to come down to a law suit to defend our 1st amendment constitutional rights.
Please pray for us :
1. Wisdom as we try to come to a reasonable solution.
2. That this issue will not be blown out of proportion as it already has. Madison is the capital of Wisconsin and we are in the midst of a governor's race. (Our issue has already been commented on by the challenger.
3. That God would be glorified and that we would develop a stronger relationship with the University because of this. (Only God can do that.)
Below is a recent AP article on how this issue is taking shape:
By Ryan J. FoleyAssociated PressAugust 10, 2006MADISON, Wis. -- Hoping to head off a potential backlash, the University of Wisconsin-Madison on Wednesday defended a decision to refuse to recognize the Knights of Columbus as a student organization.The university cannot recognize the Catholic service organization because the group's policy limiting membership to Catholic men does not comply with state law prohibiting discrimination against students on the basis of religion or creed, said Casey Nagy, a top aide to Chancellor John Wiley.
The group also does not comply with a school rule requiring all student organizations to be controlled by students, he said.After a report on the dispute Tuesday, Republican gubernatorial candidate Mark Green, a member of the Knights of Columbus, called the school's decision "just plain stupid." He noted that the Knights have been active on campus since the 1970s.Nagy said UW-Madison has tightened its enforcement of requirements of non-discrimination and student control as a result of a 2000 U.S. Supreme Court ruling involving its use of student fees. He said six to 12 of the university's 750 recognized student groups will not be in compliance if they do not change policies.
A lack of recognition means a group cannot rent space on campus, recruit students at UW-sponsored events or use the school's name in its title. Such groups also cannot qualify for student fees, although the Knights of Columbus have never been funded.The university's stance could signal that a legal battle looms between the school and religious groups.
Another group, the UW Roman Catholic Foundation, has been in a long-running dispute over whether it can be eligible for student fees.The Alliance Defense Fund's Center for Academic Freedom, a Christian legal group, sent a letter this week demanding UW stop applying non-discrimination policies to Christian student groups. The letter cited the example of the Knights of Columbus as well as the InterVarsity Christian Fellowship, which was not recognized last year by UW-Superior.UW policies do not comply with a federal appeals court ruling last month forcing Southern Illinois University to reinstate the Christian Legal Society despite its requirement that members pledge to adhere to Christian beliefs, the center's director, David French, argued.But Nagy said the UW System has reviewed that ruling and does not believe it has to change current policies to comply.
UW-Madison lobbyists echoed Nagy's arguments in a memo to state lawmakers Wednesday. The Knights of Columbus claims 1.7 million members worldwide and about 39,000 in Wisconsin.The UW memo acknowledged the decision would be controversial but emphasized that "we continue to try to work with the Knights to find a compromise that satisfies state legal requirements."That effort includes working with the group to set up an affiliate organization with different membership policies, Nagy said.However, UW-Madison professor Mark Etzel, the group's campus adviser, said Tuesday that he was angry after he met with a university official last week and she continued to object to the group's proposal for an affiliate. The university has not acted on that application."I feel I am being treated like a second-class citizen for trying to foster a religious group on campus," Etzel wrote in an e-mail to a colleague after the Aug. 2 meeting with Yvonne Fangmeyer, director of the Student Organization Office.Etzel declined to respond to the university's arguments Wednesday, saying the group met Tuesday and decided not to speak further to the media.
posted by Rich at 12:48 PM
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