Two Homosexual Students Sue Fuller Theological Seminary
Jan 17, 2020
Joanna Maxon and Nathan Brittsan were expelled from Fuller Theological Seminary for violating the school’s biblically based Community Standards concerning marriage and sexuality; both are “married” to a same-sex partner.
In November, Maxon brought her lawsuit against the school for her 2018 expulsion, and this week Brittsan joined the suit over his 2017 expulsion. Both are claiming that they were unfairly discriminated against.
But shouldn’t it be the right of a religiously affiliated school to be able to come up with its own standards and then expect that its students would follow those guidelines?
Fuller’s code of conduct holds that marriage is a “covenant union between one man and one woman” and finds “homosexual forms of explicit sexual conduct to be inconsistent with the teaching of Scripture.”
Is there a chance that the students could win this case? Paul Southwick, the attorney for these former students, hopes to set a legal precedent with this case. However, to do so, he must not only establish that even a religiously affiliated seminary must “comply with Title IX prohibitions on sex discrimination,” but also that the term “sex” in the law is meant to apply to LGBT individuals. According to Southwick, this lawsuit is the first such lawsuit against a Christian institution for expelling a student for a same-sex “marriage” since Obergefell v. Hodges.
Fuller is being represented by Daniel Blomberg of the Becket Fund for Religious Liberty. Blomberg is confident but cautious that the school’s religious liberty will stand. While he believes the plaintiffs present “weak claims,” he acknowledges that the claims “are dangerous for faith-based institutions.”
Lesbian Sues Seminary That Refused to Compromise Biblical Values on Gay Marriage
Western Journal
Second Expelled Student Sues Fuller for LGBT Discrimination
Christianity Today
NOTE: FACT provides links to external websites for educational purposes only. The inclusion of any links to other websites does not necessarily constitute an endorsement.
In November, Maxon brought her lawsuit against the school for her 2018 expulsion, and this week Brittsan joined the suit over his 2017 expulsion. Both are claiming that they were unfairly discriminated against.
But shouldn’t it be the right of a religiously affiliated school to be able to come up with its own standards and then expect that its students would follow those guidelines?
Fuller’s code of conduct holds that marriage is a “covenant union between one man and one woman” and finds “homosexual forms of explicit sexual conduct to be inconsistent with the teaching of Scripture.”
Is there a chance that the students could win this case? Paul Southwick, the attorney for these former students, hopes to set a legal precedent with this case. However, to do so, he must not only establish that even a religiously affiliated seminary must “comply with Title IX prohibitions on sex discrimination,” but also that the term “sex” in the law is meant to apply to LGBT individuals. According to Southwick, this lawsuit is the first such lawsuit against a Christian institution for expelling a student for a same-sex “marriage” since Obergefell v. Hodges.
Fuller is being represented by Daniel Blomberg of the Becket Fund for Religious Liberty. Blomberg is confident but cautious that the school’s religious liberty will stand. While he believes the plaintiffs present “weak claims,” he acknowledges that the claims “are dangerous for faith-based institutions.”
News Sources
Lesbian Sues Seminary That Refused to Compromise Biblical Values on Gay MarriageWestern Journal
Second Expelled Student Sues Fuller for LGBT Discrimination
Christianity Today
NOTE: FACT provides links to external websites for educational purposes only. The inclusion of any links to other websites does not necessarily constitute an endorsement.
