Two Christian Student Clubs Sue New York Community College Over Leadership Rule
Two Christian student organizations have sued SUNY Broome Community College in New York over a policy requiring club leaders to be open to any student regardless of belief. InterVarsity Christian Fellowship, represented by the Becket Fund for Religious Liberty, filed suit in federal court on August 21, saying the college will not let the club require its leaders to personally hold to its statement of faith even though the group may keep the statement itself. Alliance Defending Freedom filed a separate suit on behalf of Campus Bible Fellowship, saying the college has refused to recognize the club at all under the same policy, which keeps it from reserving campus space or receiving student activity funding.
Both lawsuits argue the policy singles out religious clubs, since the complaints say other student organizations are not required to open their leadership to members who reject the group's core purpose. SUNY Broome has declined to comment on the pending litigation. The cases follow an earlier, separate dispute in which the college agreed to let a local church rent space on campus after originally refusing.
