Faith-based student group accuses University of Iowa of continued discrimination [View all]

IOWA CITY — The faith-based student organization sparring with the University of Iowa over conflicting allegations of discrimination is re-upping its accusations of unfair treatment — telling a federal judge the university is in a position of power, which it’s abusing.

“Since the university controls our grades, our degrees, and in some cases our paychecks, and can have significant influence on our future employment, the university’s accusations make us worry that we will be treated unfairly,” organization members said in new documents filed in the case pitting the UI against student group Business Leaders in Christ.

Recruiting new members, and specifically new leaders, to join the 5-year-old student organization — which goes by BLinC — has been challenged since UI administrators in fall 2017 deregistered the group for denying an openly-gay member the chance to be a leader.

Accused of discrimination and violating the UI human rights policy, BLinC fought back with its own discrimination claim, filing a federal lawsuit accusing the UI of violating the group’s First Amendment rights and treating it differently for its religious policies.

Read more: https://www.thegazette.com/subject/news/education/faith-based-student-group-accuses-university-of-iowa-of-continued-discrimination-business-leaders-in-christ-blinc-20190205