A federal judge has rejected claims by a Christian student group that the University of California's Hastings College of Law must recognize it as a registered student group even though it discriminates based on religion and sexual orientation. U.S. District Court Judge Jeffrey White dismissed the lawsuit filed by the Christian Legal Society in July 2004 after the law school refused to recognize them as a student group because they did not permit gay and lesbian students and non-orthodox Christians to become full members of the group of hold officer positions in the group.
White ruled that Hastings did not violate the CLS's First Amendment rights of free speech by denying them recognition.
"(Hastings' policy) affects what CLS must do if it wants to become a registered student organization - not engage in discrimination - not what CLS may or may not say regarding its beliefs on non-orthodox Christianity or homosexuality,'' White wrote in his decision.
A number of similar lawsuits are pending against various other public universities throughout the nation, including the California State University system, so White's ruling, issued Monday, could have impact beyond at Hastings, according to the attorney for the school.
Details here from cbs5 Bay City News Wire.