U. New Hampshire’s Student Bar Association Won’t Recognize ‘Religious Freedom Club’
“fomented public discussion that labeled the group as bigoted, subversive, oppressive, and a general ‘problem’ for UNH”
This is happening in a state where the motto is “Live free or die.”
The College Fix reports:
University of New Hampshire accused of ‘open hostility’ toward religious freedom club
University of New Hampshire administrators need to step in and correct the “open hostility” toward Christian and conservative students by January 3, a demand letter from a legal nonprofit stated.
First Liberty Institute sent the demand letter to law school Dean Shane Cooper after UNH’s Student Bar Association refused to recognize the Free Exercise Coalition, a student organization devoted to protecting religious freedom on campuses, despite the club’s adherence to all the school’s criteria for official club membership.
The legal nonprofit shared a copy of the letter with The College Fix.
First Liberty accused the SBA of acting as an “inquisitor” when examining the club’s application, instead of providing its “routine, administrative approval.” The Christian Legal Society, approved two months prior, faced similar issues in obtaining official recognition, First Liberty wrote, showing a pattern of bias.
The media team for UNH law school said on December 23 it would provide comments to The Fix but has yet to respond.
The SBA “viewed with suspicion” the Free Exercise Coalition’s “mission.” The SBA also “fomented public discussion that labeled the group as bigoted, subversive, oppressive, and a general ‘problem’ for UNH,” First Liberty wrote in its letter.
“Further, this shocking, knives-out inquisition of the Free Exercise Coalition’s religious beliefs by the SBA led the Free Exercise Coalition’s faculty advisor to withdraw,” according to the letter.
“Students at America’s universities are entitled [under the First Amendment] to express their beliefs on campus, as well as by associating with students that share those beliefs,” First Liberty wrote.
The university administration, including the dean, must uphold these rights so that all students have the freedom to “express their beliefs on campus.” The legal group holds Cooper accountable because he did not stop SBA nor inform them of the problems of their actions. As a result, by his silence he approved SBA’s actions, First Liberty argued.
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Comments
My favorite “Live Free or Die” story is about the Jehovah’s Witness who objected to the sentiments in the motto, and taped over the phrase on his license plates. SCOTUS affirmed his right to do so in Wooley v. Maynard. The ultimate irony is that Maynard insisted on “living free,” while New Hampshire insisted on compelling his abject conformity.
@henrybowman, that was back when NH was a red state. It is now all blue.
I did not know that UNH had a law school. It is so unfortunate that it has succumbed to the demands of the “woke”, Marxist surge. With a dean who believes in justice (not “social Justice”) and has the backbone to pursue it, the UNH law school could become one of the premiere law schools in the US.