Victory for College Student
We represent Jonathan Phillippe, a student at Northern Virginia Community College in Annandale, Virginia. Jonathan and some of his classmates formed a College Life Club (CLC). The students constitution stated that it was an interdenominational, student, Christian organization seeking to provide a spiritual environment for anyone who is interested. In fact, the Christian club was open to all persons, no matter their religious belief or affiliation. The group believed that its essential mission and purpose requires that only practicing Christians, however, serve as its leaders: president, vice president and secretary.
The CLCs constitution provided that: To be eligible for a position on the leadership team, one must profess faith in the Lord Jesus Christ as their personal Savior, and have an ongoing relationship with Him. They must be of upstanding character and possess integrity while leading a moral and God-centered life. When the constitution was submitted to the university, it was rejected. The college actually asserted that since leadership of the organization was restricted to Christians, it did not meet their nondiscrimination policy.
We contacted the Virginia attorney generals office, and I am happy to report that the case has been resolved, and the College Life Club has been allowed to organize pursuant to its constitution. The attorney generals office was very responsive to our information and demand letter and quickly remedied the situation. What this case shows is that through quick legal action, many cases can be resolved in a very short time.
The voting on John Robertss confirmation is set to begin tomorrow at 11:30 a.m. Right now I am in our headquarters in Virginia. Tomorrow I will be traveling up to Washington, DC, for the confirmation vote. I am optimistic that John Roberts will receive upwards of 70 votes for his confirmation as the seventeenth Chief Justice of the United States. Before we even get a chance to catch our breath, we will be working on the next Supreme Court vacancy, whose nomination could be announced any time now.