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Student Expelled For Being Gay

By TChris, Section Civil Liberties
Posted on Fri May 05, 2006 at 11:53:08 AM EST
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by TChris

Students at the University of the Cumberlands in Williamsburg, Ky. are scrambling to erase their MySpace profiles after university officials discovered that Jason Johnson's profile mentioned his boyfriend. Johnson was expelled for being gay, which is contrary to the private school's "high standards." According to President James Taylor:

"We tell prospective students about our high standards before they come. There are places students with predispositions can go, such as San Francisco and the left coast or to many of the state schools."

The Kentucky Legislature gave Cumberlands $11 million. Should Kentucky continue to assist a school that discriminates on the basis of sexual orientation? Kentucky Sen. Ernesto Scorsone doesn't think so.

"It becomes a situation where the state is putting in place a program that would only be available to heterosexuals," Scorsone said.

Scorsone, the only openly gay member of the Kentucky Legislature, said there are no Kentucky or federal statutes prohibiting discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation. But he said the Kentucky Fairness Alliance -- a statewide group that fights for equal treatment of gay Kentuckians -- filed a lawsuit to block the school's funding.

State Rep. Kathy Stein, D-Lexington, also has publicly called for the university to return the funding.

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    Student Expelled For Being Gay | 24 comments (24 topical)
    Re: Student Expelled For Being Gay (none / 0) (#1)
    by Dadler on Fri May 05, 2006 at 11:13:45 AM EST
    I'm having flashbacks to my daze in the nation's largest evangelical high school. Biology textbook published by Bob Jones University Press: "Dinosaurs, probably small ones, were actually aboard Noah's ark." These type of "schools" are bastions of close-minded ignorance, and fear of anything not conforming to THEIR insanely narrow and inexperienced view of the world. Best thing this kid could do is get as far away from the place as possible.

    Re: Student Expelled For Being Gay (none / 0) (#2)
    by squeaky on Fri May 05, 2006 at 11:15:56 AM EST
    Bet that some of the admin there are deep in the closet on a variety of levels. Time to do a bit of research on the personal habits of these f*cks.

    Re: Student Expelled For Being Gay (none / 0) (#3)
    by Talkleft Visitor on Fri May 05, 2006 at 11:21:59 AM EST
    "many of the state schools"? There are state schools where you can't be gay? That's news.

    Re: Student Expelled For Being Gay (none / 0) (#4)
    by Al on Fri May 05, 2006 at 11:24:47 AM EST
    I'm sorry, maybe I'm being obtuse here, but what is the "left coast"?

    Re: Student Expelled For Being Gay (none / 0) (#5)
    by DonS on Fri May 05, 2006 at 11:27:42 AM EST
    Left coast" = west coast, i.e., as perceived from birds eye view of the conventional map; and as sometimes perceived ideologically by various wits.

    Re: Student Expelled For Being Gay (none / 0) (#6)
    by Talkleft Visitor on Fri May 05, 2006 at 01:08:36 PM EST
    In this day and age, I would like to think this article is a hoax. I am sure it's not, but this quote in the article leaves me wondering: Johnson's expulsion is a "sticky situation."

    Re: Student Expelled For Being Gay (none / 0) (#7)
    by Sailor on Fri May 05, 2006 at 01:09:00 PM EST
    sometimes perceived ideologically by various wits.
    DonS, you were only half right;-) The sex discrim is a red herring, they shouldn't get state money because they are a religious school:
    "We are different by design and are non-apologetic about our Christian beliefs."
    Re: Student Expelled For Being Gay (none / 0) (#8)
    by Talkleft Visitor on Fri May 05, 2006 at 01:38:17 PM EST
    Al. It is my conception the geopolitical map of the US is made up of the East Coast, the Bible Belt, and the West Coast.

    Re: Student Expelled For Being Gay (none / 0) (#9)
    by Talkleft Visitor on Fri May 05, 2006 at 01:45:05 PM EST
    I think the first issue that should be challenged here is letting them get away with characterizing this as "high standards." It is "restrictive standards." The media should start by pointing that out. Allowing the term "high standards" to go unchallenged in this case lends a sort of moral legitimacy to it by default. Whether or not the State should provide financial support to their efforts is another matter, but first things first. Excluding gay people does not define "high standards" any more than Bob Jones U's restriction on interracial dating, or Brigham Young U's policy that male students must be clean shaven. BTW -- Those of us who live on the "left coast" sometimes marvel at what some people in other areas of the country still make such a "big deal" about?

    Re: Student Expelled For Being Gay (none / 0) (#10)
    by Slado on Fri May 05, 2006 at 01:45:54 PM EST
    While expelling someone for being gay is morally repugnant in my view it is also the right of a "private" university or school. IE see Baylor not allowing students to pose for Playboy's "Best of the Big 12". If a school has a known policy or moral guideline then the students have to know what they are signing up for. If they come out later then they need to keep it quiet or change schools. ETc... That a school takes federal grants or money does not mean however that it should be subject to federal laws on acceptance and procedures. If the federal government wants to complain about how people are being treated then they should stop giving a school, charity or whatever orginization money. Right wingers have the same complaints about liberal charities, art foundations and even NPR who takes federal money and promotes ideas just as awful in their eyes. The "federal money" complaint is pretty weak in my veiw but I don't begrudge anyone complaining. I complain about NPR spending my tax money, promoting a socially liberal agenda and then stopping their broadcast every 2 weeks to beg for money.

    Re: Student Expelled For Being Gay (none / 0) (#11)
    by january on Fri May 05, 2006 at 03:04:51 PM EST
    Wonder if the U of Cumberlands actually does have that anti-gay policy spelled out anywhere, or if the student could have been expected to infer it from school materials? If so, you do have to wonder why he wanted to go there in the first place. That said,I'm with SLOphoto about allowing this bigotry to be characterized as "high standards." And I'm all for yanking their funding. Heck, I'm still mad at the Boy Scouts.

    Re: Student Expelled For Being Gay (none / 0) (#12)
    by Talkleft Visitor on Fri May 05, 2006 at 03:11:32 PM EST
    slado, this is OT but you said:
    I complain about NPR spending my tax money, promoting a socially liberal agenda ...
    I complain that their programming caters too much to their corporate sponsors, because they don't get enough of our tax money:
    NPR supports its operations through a combination of membership dues and programming fees from over 800 independent radio stations, sponsorship from private foundations and corporations, and revenue from the sales of transcripts, books, CDs, and merchandise. A very small percentage -- between one percent to two percent of NPR's annual budget -- comes from competitive grants sought by NPR from federally funded organizations, such as the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, National Science Foundation and the National Endowment for the Arts.
    link

    Re: Student Expelled For Being Gay (none / 0) (#13)
    by Al on Fri May 05, 2006 at 03:42:05 PM EST
    Fortunately, we are protected from censorship by people like Slado, who would like NPR to only present viewpoints that agree with their ideology, because freedom of speech is protected by law. Unfortunately we are not protected by law from people like Slado who claim freedom of speech and freedom to discriminate against gays are equivalent.

    Re: Student Expelled For Being Gay (none / 0) (#14)
    by Talkleft Visitor on Fri May 05, 2006 at 04:20:52 PM EST

    I can't agree more with SLO... The idea that any discriminatory ideology is considered high standards is beyond my comprehension. That said, I also find it incredibly difficult to understand how the right wing claims moral superiority from a Christian perspective or otherwise... isn't discrimination a horribly stilted definition of moral?

    Without any logic to work from, I suppose anti-gay sentiment as "higher standards" is fear-based, but if anyone can give me another reason (other than the Bible says it's bad - afterall, the New Testament also says turn the other cheek but somehow, the Old Testament's an eye for an eye gets all the "moral" press), I'd love to hear it. It would seem to me that morality would mean doing right by all people, feeding the sick, helping the homeless, and allowing (even promoting) harmony amongst all people - no matter who they sleep with. Then again, we're dealing with eons of sexual repression, not just on the right but in society as a whole... Which is funny to me from god-loving people since I cannot imagine that any benevolent God would saddle creation with sexuality that we weren't meant to tap into... Then again, I'm not into organized religion, so I suppose my opinion means little to those who prefer to live in a homogenous box...

    Lastly, I have to say that like others - I am curious to know if this "higher standards" policy was openly acknowledged prior to this... Anyone know?
    Re: Student Expelled For Being Gay (none / 0) (#15)
    by Dadler on Fri May 05, 2006 at 05:37:32 PM EST
    Slado, The amount of "your" money that goes to NPR every year amounts to pennies. Literally. And NPR, heavily reliant, as well, on big corporate "donors", tilts ever so slightly to the left. As it should, since private broadcasting is beholden to ONLY the bottom line.

    Re: Student Expelled For Being Gay (none / 0) (#16)
    by Aaron on Fri May 05, 2006 at 07:01:23 PM EST
    Idealist that I am, I look forward to the day when universities like this will be out of business if they refuse to recognize that people's sexual interaction and personal sexual conduct, regardless of orientation, isn't any of the schools business. Nor should an institute of learning be in the business of attempting to impose their idea of morality upon their students. Teach morality? Sure. But when an institution starts interposing itself within relationships, the way Bob Jones discriminates against people who engage in interracial relationships, that's stepping over the line. In my view it's a violation of students civil rights. Not only should these universities be prevented from receiving any kind of federal or state funding, they should also be made to pick up the cost, whenever a student is convicted under this policy. In other words if a student is thrown out of the University on such grounds, the university should refund their tuition, buy back their books and reimburse the other expenses they've incurred, like housing. That would put an end of this kind of crap with the quickness. But considering the direction our country has been going in recent years, pharmacists refusing to fill prescriptions for women, Muslims being harassed and discriminated against, African-Americans being redistricted out of power, etc. I'll be expecting to see people expelled from college for a whole host of "moral" reasons in the near future. Perhaps soon we'll see signs posted across America once again "WE RESERVE THE RIGHT TO REFUSE SERVICE TO..." At the moment the sign may read homosexuals, but if some get their way it will include women, immigrants, Muslims, Blacks, Indians Jews, Irish, Italians, polls etc. I guess they figure it's high time we made America safe for God-fearing white Anglo-Saxon Protestant heterosexual Republican folks once again. Horribly oppressed group that they are.

    Re: Student Expelled For Being Gay (none / 0) (#17)
    by Johnny on Fri May 05, 2006 at 07:31:35 PM EST
    That a school takes federal grants or money does not mean however that it should be subject to federal laws on acceptance and procedures.
    Are you serious?

    Re: Student Expelled For Being Gay (none / 0) (#18)
    by roxtar on Sat May 06, 2006 at 04:14:46 AM EST
    Gee, I guess NPR would be more "fair and balanced" if only Saint Ronald hadn't eviscerated the Fairness Doctrine. And since there are no commercial radio stations parroting the Administration's talking points, it must be tough for the Bushistas to get their talking points circulated on the radio. (/sarcasm)

    Re: Student Expelled For Being Gay (none / 0) (#19)
    by Johnny on Sat May 06, 2006 at 05:32:15 AM EST
    Cuz I mean the gov't leans on the states all the time to follow their rules or they cut off. Do you feel that way because it is a religious school getting funded (to the tune of 11 million dollars, a not inconsiderable chunk of change)? Do you feel that it is ok for government sponsored institutions to discriminate based on sexual orientation because they are a religious institute? Where would you draw the line? Surely you are not suggesting that a private, religious school is even entitled to government funding? This is one of the reasons why I feel religion should be in no way recognized by the government. In any way, shape or form. No official recognition as any kind fo supernatural institute or set of beliefs. It lends credibility to institutes that will discriminate, openly, in a manner that an employer would get their pants sued off for. In related news, check out Freddy Phelp's daughter on Hannity&Colmes:

    Re: Student Expelled For Being Gay (none / 0) (#20)
    by Johnny on Sat May 06, 2006 at 05:35:11 AM EST
    Crazy religio-nut

    Re: Student Expelled For Being Gay (none / 0) (#21)
    by Edger on Sat May 06, 2006 at 06:05:58 AM EST
    Aaron:
    In other words if a student is thrown out of the University on such grounds, the university should refund their tuition, buy back their books and reimburse the other expenses they've incurred, like housing.
    ... and be required to pay for the students education elsewhere. It also would be a good idea for the university to have to provide an ethics seminar to all its other students explaining why they were wrong to expell a student for being gay. Universities are places of higher learning. They can learn from their own actions here, while doing one of the things they exist to do - teach.

    Re: Student Expelled For Being Gay (none / 0) (#22)
    by Talkleft Visitor on Sat May 06, 2006 at 10:57:32 AM EST
    u guys are ridiculous. so a private christian school has to have gay students? whats next churches being forced to perform gay marriages. think about what you are saying. as a christian i dont expect to go to san francisco or new york and see my belies respected why should a PRIVATE CHRISTIAN school be questioned. why is this a story. he has a choice to go to a government school where his sodomite nature will be celebrated

    Re: Student Expelled For Being Gay (none / 0) (#23)
    by Sailor on Sat May 06, 2006 at 06:05:52 PM EST
    u guys are ridiculous. so a private christian school has to have gay students?
    No, but they can't receive tax money. See 'establishment cause, Constitution, U.S.'

    Re: Student Expelled For Being Gay (none / 0) (#24)
    by Johnny on Sun May 07, 2006 at 07:38:48 AM EST
    u guys are ridiculous. so a private christian school has to have gay students? whats next churches being forced to perform gay marriages. think about what you are saying. as a christian i dont expect to go to san francisco or new york and see my belies respected why should a PRIVATE CHRISTIAN school be questioned. why is this a story. he has a choice to go to a government school where his sodomite nature will be celebrated
    Like Sailor said, they receive federal funding. First violation of the highest order. Ever been to college?

    Student Expelled For Being Gay | 24 comments (24 topical)