Supreme court : public universities can deny funding to student organizations

[DZComposer]

The Hastings College of Law is a publicly-funded school. One of it's student organizations, the Christian Legal Society, has a clause in it's bylaws that essentially bans gays from their group.

The school cried foul, citing their anti-discrimination policy, and decided not to fund CLS, which basically makes CLS an unofficial student organization rather than an official one.

Well, the CLS got upset over this and sued. It wound its way up to the supreme court, who issued their ruling today, a 5/4 decision, in favor of the school.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/06/28/hastings-college-christia_n_627708.html

I agree with this one. While I believe that a private club may control membership how they please, once public money is involved, I firmly believe their criteria should not be discriminatory, as the influx of public money makes the club public. If you want to discriminate, no public money.

[Sarita]

I wholeheartedly agree. Whether you claim to be a Christian organization or not, if you receive public money, you shouldn't be allowed to discriminate. Why should the tax-paying gays be forced to pay for their own discrimination?

[CrypticQuery]

I definitely agree on this ruling, for reasons already stated :P

[Guest DRL]

Agreed. While private funding may

be used to fund the group, state

funding shall not.

It is discriminatory to fund something

that "bans all those who are of a X

group" privete funds, on the other hand,

are selective, and can do with them what

they wish.

[Guest Julius Quasar]

If it is receiving public money, then yeah, I agree with DZ and Sissi.

But Public Universities should not harass Army Recruiters if the university is receiving public funds.

Tolerance is a 2 way street.

["User"]

I'll have to look more into this before I can make my own conclusion.  It was a 5-4 decision so it was really close and thus not as clear cut as it seems to be from the replies in this thread.  There are at least two sides to every argument and in this case I'm sure the dissent make some very valid points.  It's getting late though so I'll look at this later.

[Dermot]

I agree with the law school.

[fox1235]

Yeah I agree all the way.