Summary: A Christian college, Carson-Newman University, has won the right to discriminate against gays and pregnant women.
Carson-Newman University, a private Southern Baptist college in Jefferson County, will become the 30th to bounce on board the provision of 1972’s Title IX exemption, allowing them to legally discriminate against and ban gay students, unwed mothers or pregnant women, or women who’ve had an abortion.
“This is who we are – our religious principles – and in a changing world we want to reaffirm who we are and intend to be,” said Dr. Randall O’Brien, the school’s president.
The idea originated with his lawyer, who has advised almost a dozen Christian schools to take advantage of the provision of the bill, originally intended to combat discrimination.
That bill allowed that institutions “controlled by a religious organization,” can avoid the Title IX requirements if following it “would not be consistent with the religious tenets of such organization.”
It wasn’t until the gay community was given the right to marry by the Supreme Court that colleges began picking up on this exception.
“I believe [our lawyer] felt it would strengthen our First Amendment rights. I don’t know why something would be necessary, but since he’s [my attorney] I felt we’d follow he template.”
So the right to discriminate, and especially on the grounds of sexuality (orientation or pregnancy), originated with this lawyer who has made a campaign of getting Christian colleges on board.
News Source: Deadstate