Student Must Alter Christian Beliefs to Graduate

(Augusta, Georgia) This has been a bad week for freedom of speech and freedom of religion. On the heels of a ruling by the European Union, which criminalized dissent on man-made climate change, Augusta State University has ruled that a student must change her religious beliefs if she wants to graduate.

Seeking a master's degree in the school counselor program, 24-year-old Jennifer Keeton has been informed that she will be prohibited from graduating unless she changes her Christian beliefs regarding gender and sexuality. A plan to alter Keeton's biblical beliefs was prepared by the university.

The Remediation Plan required that Keeton attend workshops on diversity sensitivity training toward working with GLBTQ populations, work to increase exposure and interaction with gay populations by attending such events as the Gay Pride Parade in Augusta, and read more on the topic to improve counseling effectiveness with GLBTQ populations.

Failure to complete all elements of the remediation plan will result in dismissal from the Counselor Education Program, according to the plan.

Mary Jane Anderson-Wiley, an associate professor, told Keeton that "she had a choice of standing by the Bible or by the American Counseling Association Code of Ethics."

A lawsuit was filed Wednesday in U.S. District Court in Augusta claiming that Keeton's First Amendment rights to free speech and free exercise of religion have been violated.

Understandably, there's a lot of interest in this controversy. More later....

Tip: GBK