A student at Augusta State University has been told to change her Christian beliefs or otherwise be expelled from the school’s graduate counselling program.
Jennifer Keeton, 24, had expressed her Christian beliefs in class discussions and in her written work, but it was her views regarding gender and sexuality that seemed to cause problems, as she was told that she was failing to conform to the prevailing views of the counselling profession. She was also asked to participate in a “remediation” plan. This included workshops on diversity and sensitivity training and assignments to increase interaction with homosexuals, such as attending the “Gay” Pride Parade in Augusta. Miss Keeten was told that failure to complete this remediation plan would result in her dismissal from the program.
Miss Keeten was not willing to compromise her Biblical views and has filed a law suit against Augusta State University. She is being represented by the Alliance Defence Fund. David French, senior counsel with the ADF, stated:
"A public university student shouldn’t be threatened with expulsion for being a Christian and refusing to publicly renounce her faith, but that’s exactly what’s happening here. Simply put, the university is imposing thought reform."
"Abandoning one’s own religious beliefs should not be a precondition at a public university for obtaining a degree," ADF's David French contended. "This type of leftist zero-tolerance policy is in place at far too many universities, and it must stop. Jennifer’s only crime was to have the beliefs that she does."
In an ADF video, Miss Keeton said: “While I want to stay in the school counselling program, I know that I can't honestly complete the remediation plan knowing that I would have to alter my beliefs. I'm not willing to, and I know I can't, change my Biblical views”.
According to ADF there is a trend among universities to apply “religious and ideological litmus tests” in university departments teaching “education, counselling, and social work”.
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