Students, academia shrug off lawsuits

Correction

Due to a reporting error, the Sept. 30 article "Students, academia shrug off lawsuits" stated that InterVarsity Christian Fellowship sued the University last year.

IVCF never sued the University, and the events in question did not take place "last year"; they occurred two school years ago in 2002.

Also due to a reporting error, the same article states that the summer reading controversy concerning excerpts from the Qur'an took place in 2001. The controversy occurred in 2002.

Three major lawsuits against the University have surfaced in the past three years - and the resounding chorus from within academia and without has been that it's no big deal.

Such legal battles are common for large universities, and the highly publicized controversies at UNC haven't weakened the University's reputation in the eyes of prospective students or peer institutions.

Last month, Christian fraternity Alpha Iota Omega sued when the University refused to recognize it as an official student group. The fraternity wants to restrict membership to Christians, a violation of the University's nondiscrimination policy.

Last year, the InterVarsity Christian Fellowship sued UNC and won the right to reject non-Christian leadership. In 2001, UNC decided not to force incoming freshmen to read excerpts from the Qur'an for the summer reading program, avoiding an uphill legal battle.

John Burness, Duke University senior vice president for public affairs and government relations, said UNC's call to legal arms is not only normal, but noble.

"I really believe that the better the university, the more of these types of suits you have," said Burness, whose own university is stirring up some controversy for its decision to host a pro-Palestinian conference next month.

Steve Farmer, senior associate director of undergraduate admissions at UNC, said the lawsuits haven't done any damage yet and likely never will.

"The two previous lawsuits, we don't have any evidence that they affected more than a couple of students one way or the other," he said. "And we would really be surprised if this one had any greater impact."

Indeed, school officials at four high schools that frequently have graduates attend UNC, said they have heard little to no talk about the lawsuits and haven't seen any decline in interest in the University.

Seniors at Montgomery Bell Academy, an all-male preparatory school in Nashville, Tenn., don't seem to be letting the legal battles factor into their decision-making, said Terry Giffen, director of college counseling at the school.

"I don't think it's really hit our students' radar screens," Giffen said. "UNC remains a hot place for us."

UNC religious studies Professor Randall Styers said students' apparent indifference can be credited to UNC's being a public school. They realize state-funded schools aren't always sympathetic to religion.

"The courts are going to decide and create rules that would apply to any public university," said Styers, who will teach "Religion in American Law" in the spring.

Rep. David Price, D-N.C., declined to comment directly on the issue, but spokeswoman Bridget Lowell said Price thinks UNC's stance balances the First Amendment mandate not to establish or stifle religion.

But at Monday night's UNC Young Democrats meeting, Price referenced the lawsuits while instructing students to carry out logical political discourse with people who disagree with them.

He lamented that strongholds against diverse opinion seem to threaten UNC's open-minded atmosphere. "It seems like everyone's planting an ideological flag and making sure their side gets represented," he said.

The University doesn't have an official head nod from all legislators, though.

Rep. Walter Jones, R-N.C., has taken an active role in opposing UNC's recent actions in hopes of eliciting a change in policy. He defends Alpha Iota Omega's right to achieve the unity it seeks in being an all-Christian fraternity.

"It's something he cares deeply about, Christians not able to speak their voice around the country," said Kristen Quigley, Jones' press secretary, citing similar cases at other universities.

Quigley said Jones believes that allowing groups that are necessarily restrictive in some fashion does not violate the 14th Amendment's nondiscrimination requirement.

"UNC made a decision based on ideology and not on legal necessity."

Contact the State & National Editor at stntdesk@unc.edu.