(Source: Vimal Patel The Eagle, Bryan, Texas (MCT) — A group representing the student organization Texas Aggie Conservatives filed a federal lawsuit against Texas AandM University, claiming that it discriminates in funding against certain student groups.
The Alliance Defense Fund, a legal alliance of Christian lawyers, says that the university did not provide funding for the student group when it wanted to bring to campus conservative activist Star Parker. Texas AandM?s policy regarding the funding of student organizations states that eligibility for funding requires that groups not be categorized as a religious or political club.
Lawyers argue that allows the university to unconstitutionally favor the speech of some groups over others.
?The laws are well established in this area,? said ADF legal counsel David Hacker. ?When a university or government opens up a forum for speech, it has to provide essentially equal access. You can?t exclude a speaker because of their viewpoint.?
The suit was filed last Tuesday in the U.S. District court for the southern district of Texas.
It names Texas AandM President R. Bowen Loftin, Vice President for Student Affairs Joe Weber, Director of Student Activities William Stackman, 10 AandM employees on the student organization advisory board, and seven student members of that board.
Texas AandM spokesman Jason Cook did not return messages for comment. It?s the university?s general policy not to comment on pending litigation.
Funding was denied for the event in February. The group raised other funds to bring to campus Parker, who delivered a talk titled, ?Uncle Sam?s Plantation: How Big Government Enslaves America?s Poor and What We Can Do About It.?
The Texas Aggie Conservatives had estimated that the event would cost $6,800, and had requested $2,500 from the student organization board, according to the suit.
A message left for a contact number on the student group?s website was not returned.
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Source: Vimal Patel The Eagle, Bryan, Texas (MCT)
