Attorneys filed a federal lawsuit Tuesday against Eastern Michigan University on behalf of a pro-life student organization. University officials denied the group funding from mandatory student activity fees based on its “political or ideological” views even though the university funds other groups involved in political and ideological speech.
In February, Students for Life at Eastern Michigan University applied for student fee funding to host a pro-life display on campus called the Genocide Awareness Project, a traveling photo-mural exhibit which compares the contemporary genocide of abortion to historically recognized forms of genocide. EMU denied the request because they deemed the photos of the aborted babies and the event as too controversial, biased, and one-sided.
The lawsuit, Students for Life at Eastern Michigan University v. Parker, notes that EMU officials have been inconsistent with their funding guidelines and have allocated the same funds to political and ideological speech discussing “welfare rights, women’s and abortion rights, student activist training, and race-conscious issues, just to name a few.”
The lawsuit also explains that the First Amendment’s Freedom of Speech Clause “prohibits content and viewpoint discrimination in a public university’s allocation of mandatory student fee funding.” Moreover, “the government may not regulate speech based on policies that permit arbitrary, discriminatory, and overzealous enforcement.” As the U.S. Supreme Court has affirmed, “viewpoint neutrality” must be the operating principle of student fees and funding.
Senior Counsel Kevin Theriot said, “We hope EMU revises its student funding policy to include all groups, regardless of their political or ideological viewpoint.”
“Universities should encourage, not shut down, the free exchange of ideas,” said Senior Legal Counsel David Hacker. “The university funded the advocacy of other student organizations but singled out Students for Life for exclusion based purely upon its viewpoint.”
EMU’s march calendar of activities shows a wide range of topics:
Wednesday, March 13, 2013
Eastern Michigan University teams with Toyota Technical Center to create new automotive coating technologies that streamline processes, reduce costs and improve sustainability
Tuesday, March 12, 2013
New York Times columnist Joe Nocera to speak on “How To Fix Big-Time College Sports” during talk at EMU March 19
Tuesday, March 05, 2013
EMU to host ‘Steinway Weekend’ March 22-24 to raise funds to purchase Steinway pianos for aspiring teachers, performers
Eastern Michigan University forum to examine evolving roles facing gay journalists
Monday, March 04, 2013
‘Framing Sarah Palin:’ EMU professor and co-author Rhonda Kinney Longworth examines a polarizing 2008 tale of pit bulls, Puritans and politics
EMU’s Women’s History Month to offer diverse events ranging from panel discussions and an art exhibit to presentations this month