Posted on 12/06/2011 11:37:31 AM PST by Mrs. Don-o
The U.S. 11th Circuit Court of Appeals has heard arguments in a religious liberty case that could determine whether a college has the right to require students to profess certain beliefs about homosexuality in order to get a degree.
Augusta State University, in east Georgia, put counseling student Jennifer Keeton on academic probation in 2010 after she acknowledged in private conversations and during class that she disagreed with homosexuality. School administrators claimed Keeton said it would be hard for her to counsel gay clients, a stance they said violated ethical standards for licensed counselors, as put forth by the American Counseling Association.
Faculty members also faulted Keeton for saying she wanted to work with conversion therapy -- which aims to help clients stop living a homosexual lifestyle -- after graduation. And the faculty feared Keeton might harm middle and high school students she was scheduled to work with as part of her degree plan, said Cristina Correia, the state attorney who argued the school's case.
"The university has a responsibility when putting students in a practicum and graduating them," Correia told the court during oral arguments Nov. 29 in Atlanta. "When you have that kind of evidence, the faculty could not, under their ethical standards, put that student in a clinical setting without further remediation."
After putting her on probation, school administrators required Keeton to complete a remediation plan that included going to gay pride events, attending sensitivity training and writing monthly reflection papers. Keeton declined to participate in the plan, and the Alliance Defense Fund filed suit on her behalf in July 2010.
In a brief filed before the hearing, ADF attorney Jeff Shafer denied Keeton ever had a problem maintaining ethical standards for counselors, which include withholding value judgments from clients. The school's only concern has been with Keeton's expressed belief, not her behavior, Shafer wrote.
"It was Miss Keeton's communication of her religion-founded beliefs on sexual ethics which the faculty reported as the justification for their imposing remediation in the first place, and which they condemned as problematic and in need of alteration," he wrote.
Shafer claims Keeton's First Amendment rights were violated because the school targeted her for her expressed viewpoints. He compared the school's attempt to alter Keeton's beliefs in order to remain in the counseling program to a business school that required students to affirm capitalism or disavow socialism in order to graduate.
Attorneys for both sides declined comment after the hearing because the case is under a gag order by the court.
Only ray of light available: the court "may" overturn this. It's possible. The Alliance Defense Fund, which is sticking up for the student, has a good record of winning. I hope we're all supporting the ADF.
ping
i guess she’d have a tough time counseling child rapists unless she professed to favor the lifestyle, or murderers, or pedophiles, or incesters, or beastialists...etc..
then again, if homosexuality is so normal, why would homosexuals be in therapy in the first place?
The ACLU will be all over this in 5, 4, 3, ...
Welcome to the USSA, comrades. The nice agents from the Gaystapo will now conduct your annual social compliance interview.
Thought meet Police.
Interesting. It appears practicing muslims can’t graduate from the counselling program at Augusta State either.
That’s an interesting confluence of politically correct special intersts, isn’t it. Muslims vs Gay Mafia. Almost as interesting as watching Unions vs. Environmentalists.
The liberals should start bowl games pitting one liberal special interest against a diametrically opposed liberal special interest.
On Jan 2, NEA takes on Planned Parenthood in the ‘Abort the Future’ Bowl. Wall Street takes on Occupiers in the ‘Catch me, Screw me’ Bowl. Corzine and Robert Rubin are coaching the Wall Streeters. Sharpton and Madonna are coaching the Occupiers.
Hollywood is taking on Penn State in the ‘Every Boy Has Two Orifices’ Bowl. I hear the fix is in on that game, so don’t bet on it. Nobody’s going to wear a cup in that one, so expect injuries. ESPN is going to tape the game and then sit on the footage for nine years.
I think you keyboard is missing strokes and skipping around a bit... ;^)
5,000,000 - 4,999,999 - 4,999,998 - 5,010,997 - 5,009,996 - 5,009,995 - 5,016,994...
One heckuva University, and one heckuva society that we've become that the University officials aren't run out on a rail, and the heroine of this story is in the court docket...
Did the school voice similar concerns about some other student’s militantly atheistic beliefs making it harder to effectively counsel Evangelical Christians?
The first amendment forbids Congress to pass a law abridging freedom of speech. Does that restrict a state university in Georgia? The State of Georgia could claim that the tenth amendment allows it to ignore the rights enumerated in the first amendment (other than those imposed on the states by the fourteenth amendment).
They're denying HER right to free expression.
This school is forcing thought control. You must think as they say you must think, or you're punished for your disobedience.This is something right out of NAZI Germany.
I hope this girl sues their pants off. This should be a gold mine for her. She could use that money to pay off her school loans!
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Remember, the homos are only the contemporary weapon.
The war is against Christians, and the goal is to make Christianity illegal and punishable by the government.
Now that's where you are wrong. Evangelicals are NOT memmbers of a protected class, in fact discrimination is encouraged (as long as they are white).
“...college has the right to require students to profess certain beliefs about homosexuality in order to get a degree...”
Now, does not tell everyone that this “graduate” program doesn’t have the intellectual content to challenge a good private school fifth grader?
Keep it up, libs. You’ve managed to destroy the prestige of virtually every lib arts degree.
Oh well, your grads can always camp out on Wall Street.
I know a medical doctor, a libinlaw, that is very pro-homosexual.
My wife has forbid me from asking her whether she would counsel patients that homosexual acts are “medically indicated” or “medically contra-indicated”.
pithy and witty
Then again, Islam advocates taqiyya which, according to their insane religion, is acceptable lying for the advancement of Islam.
Unfortunately for us Christians, the REAL God commands us to not bear false witness.
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