Tennessee

While some consider Vanderbilt University's new all-comers policy to be an assault on religious freedom, one lawyer for the American Center for Law and Justice argues that the university's Christian students have become more unified as a result of increased campus hostility.

In early 2012, the private university, located in Nashville, Tenn., implemented an all-comers policy for its student-run organizations. The policy prohibits campus groups from selecting members and leaders based on race, gender, sexual orientation or religion.

David French, senior council of the ACLJ, told The Christian Post that "in a very discouraging incident, this Vanderbilt attack, it's been a bright spot to see how the Christian students have responded." more >>

An article profiling the life of a gay student published in the yearbook of a high school in Lenoir City, Tenn., is invoking strong reactions for and against it and might lead to protests during the upcoming graduation ceremonies.

The article, titled "It's OK to be Gay" and published in the yearbook of Lenoir City High School featured gay student Zac Mitchell describing how his family had known he was gay and how he was accepted by most of his friends even though he had been bullied.

Written by a 17-year-old journalism student as an assignment given by the student editor, the article also talked about Mitchell's cross-dressing and how he was "hit on by straight guys." The author, who chose not to use her name out of fear of backlash, is a student of faculty adviser James Yoakley, one of those responsible for reviewing the content. more >>

Tennessee Gov. Bill Haslam announced Wednesday that he will veto a House bill that seeks to override Vanderbilt University's new all-comers policy that some students say discriminates against faith groups.

In a prepared statement, Haslam said he expressed strong reservations regarding the Vanderbilt bill, as it allowed the government to dictate the policies of a private institution.

"It is counter-intuitive to make campus organizations open their membership and leadership positions to anyone and everyone, even when potential members philosophically disagree with the core values and beliefs of the organization," Haslam said in the statement, as reported by The Tennessean. more >>

Tennessee lawmakers approved legislation Monday that could force Vanderbilt University to change its new all-comers policy, which created an uproar among the private university's Christian population due to its perceived encroachment on their religious freedom.

The all-comers policy, implemented in Jan. 2012, prohibits campus groups from selecting members and leaders based on race, gender, sexual orientation or religion.

Although labeled a non-discrimination policy, Christian groups on campus argue that the new policy violates "the central tenets of our faith," as being able to elect faith-filled leaders is integral to the survival of a religious group. more >>

In the ongoing debate over religious freedom at Vanderbilt University, the school has ended its registration period, acknowledging 400 student organizations, out of 469 submissions, as university-affiliated. Twenty-six of those organizations accepted are faith-based, while more than a dozen religious organizations have lost their membership due to their refusal to accept the administrators' all-comers policy.

The religious groups accepted as university student organizations include: Presbyterian Student Fellowship; Vanderbilt Baptist Campus Ministries; Vanderbilt Hillel; Wesley/Canterbury Fellowship, a United Methodist and Episcopal student ministry; Commodores for Christ, a Church of Christ-affiliated organization; and Society of Saints Cosmas and Damian, the Catholic medical school organization, according the university's official news page.

The issue surrounding this disparity is in regards to the university's new all-comers policy, implemented in Jan. 2012. The policy prohibits campus groups from selecting members and leaders based on race, gender, sexual orientation or religion. more >>

Clarification Appended

A Christian student group at Vanderbilt University has been told by the school's administration that it will lose its recognized status on campus unless the group removes its requirement that its leaders have a "personal commitment to Jesus Christ," says a Christian legal association.

Despite a discussion with school officials at the beginning of the year that led members of the group to believe their bylaws were approved, the group was told last week that the university's new policy barring religious groups from selecting members and leaders based on faith requirements will disqualify the group next school year. more >>