College campuses are often celebrated for being places wherediversity is championed. But there comes a point when those idealsare taken too far and become diversity destroyers. Right now, theUniversity of North Carolina is in the center of the storm.
Last month UNC got slapped with a federal discriminationlawsuit. Alpha Iota Omega (AIO), a Christian fraternity, suedbecause their official recognition was stripped by UNC. AIO tookissue with UNC's required nondiscrimination clause, which mandatesthat organizations cannot discriminate based on "race, color,religion or national origin."
AIO had issues with the clause because as a Christianorganization, they wanted their members to be Christians only. Thatseems like a reasonable request, but UNC took the low road. Infact, this is the second time in three years UNC has tried toderecognize a Christian group. In 2002, InterVarsity successfullyfought back when UNC ordered the group to not use their "Christiandoctrine" as criteria for leadership selection. It took a lawsuitto halt UNC's actions.
Now it appears it will take another one as well. AIO simplywants to ensure that a Christian fraternity is comprised ofChristian members yet UNC finds that abominable. The universitychancellor, James Moeser, released a letter defending hisuniversity's actions. "Jewish student groups are open to Christianstudents, the Italian club is open to Korean students; and theBlack Student Movement is open to white students," Moeser said.
In short, there are no criteria available to deny someone'smembership application; anyone who applies must be let in. JonSanders of the Wall Street Journal points out that UNC's policymeans "the Black Student movement must admit a phalanx of whitesupremacists." The UNC position is logically untenable.
Moeser tried to weasel away by saying the Supreme Court hasnever "addressed this issue in the context of student groups atpublic universities." He is correct that the Court has neveraddressed that issue head-on, but should UNC try to, they'll mostlikely go down in flames.
The Supreme Court held in 1995 that student groups that areovertly Christian can receive student fees and meeting placesbecause they do not violate government neutrality. An even moreapplicable case was decided in 2000. The Court protected the BoyScouts from the "forced inclusion of an unwanted person" becausethey used a religious litmus test for membership. Both cases speakstrongly to the AIO position.
Moeser and UNC seem willing to die on the hill of preventingconstitutional rights to student groups for the sake of apolitically correct position that does not affirm diversity. TheUNC's required nondiscrimination clause makes it so no group canliterally deny someone access to their group. If that is the case,what is the point of having student groups if the group can't setits own membership guidelines?
UNC's policy of forced inclusion has led them to blindly seekgroup diversity instead of what would be true diversity: adiversity of groups. Somewhere at UNC the freedoms of assembly andexpression took a backseat to a monoculture.
In pursuing the policy that UNC is, they are destroying thevalue that a diversity of groups brings to a college campus. Onewould hope that colleges and universities will take note so FirstAmendment freedoms can truly be enjoyed, not stifled.
Write to Jeff at
mannedarena@yahoo.com
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