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Tuesday October 31, 2006
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Christian Student Sues Missouri State U After Punished for Opposing Homosexual Adoption
Prof Pressured Students to Lobby in Favour of Homosexual Adoption
By John-Henry Westen
SPRINGFIELD, MO, October 31, 2006 (LifeSiteNews.com) - Missouri State University student Emily Brooker is a Christian who stood up for her faith despite outrageous retaliation by her professor and other faculty at the university.
One of Brooker's MSU professors, Frank G. Kauffman, assigned to his students a project promoting homosexual foster homes and adoption. The project required the entire class to write and individually sign a letter to the Missouri Legislature in support of homosexual adoption, a letter Brooker refused to sign due to her religious objections.
Brooker faced an "ethics" committee after school officials informed her that she stood accused of a Level 3 grievance for violation of the School of Social Work's "Standards of Essential Functioning in Social Work Education." The Level 3 grievance is the highest level of grievance that an individual can bring against a student. University officials told Brooker she had violated three of the "Standards of Essential Functioning": Diversity, Interpersonal Skills, and Professional Behavior.
Yesterday, attorneys with the Alliance Defense Fund filed a complaint in federal district court to defend Brooker's First Amendment rights. The complaint notes the above incidents alleging also that "Kauffman routinely engaged in leftist diatribes denigrating President Bush and the federal government."
"The university is supposed to be the marketplace of ideas, and professors should be tolerant of the opinions of Christian students as well as those of non-Christian students," said ADF Senior Legal Counsel David French, director of ADF's Center for Academic Freedom. "But at Missouri State University, officials have singled out a student for punishment simply because she refused to write and sign a letter to the state legislature supporting homosexual adoption."
"In an institution of higher learning, students should be marked on the quality of their work, not discriminated against on the basis of their religious beliefs," said French. "At MSU, a Christian student was interrogated by faculty members who attacked her religious beliefs and threatened to withhold her degree. This is a clear violation of her First Amendment rights."
John Black, the General Council for the university told LifeSiteNews.com that they had only learned of the suit yesterday and are just commencing an investigation. He added that the university is committed to protecting freedom of speech and religion of its students. University President Michael Nietzel would not comment on the story and Dr. Kauffman did not respond to a LifeSiteNews.com request for comment by deadline.
A copy of the complaint filed in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Missouri, Southern Division, in the case Brooker v. The Governors of Missouri State University can be read here: http://www.telladf.org/UserDocs/BrookerComplaint.pdf
To express concerns:
Missouri State University System President
Dr. Michael T. Nietzel
Carrington Hall, Room 201
901 South National Avenue
Springfield, MO 65897
President@missouristate.edu
Voice: (417) 836-8500
Fax: (417) 836-7669
Kauffman, Frank G
Professional Building 206 Office address: 901 S. National Ave.
Springfield, MO 65897
Office phone: (417) 836-7691
Email: FrankKauffman@MissouriState.edu
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