Lawsuit Claims College Ordered Student to Alter Religious Views on Homosexuality...

Lawsuit Claims College Ordered Student to Alter Religious Views on Homosexuality, Or Be Dismissed

By Joshua Rhett Miller
Published July 27, 2010 | FoxNews.com

A graduate student in Georgia is suing her university after she was told she must undergo a remediation program due to her beliefs on homosexuality and transgendered persons.

The student, Jennifer Keeton, 24, has been pursuing a master's degree in school counseling at Augusta State University since 2009, but school officials have informed her that she'll be dismissed from the program unless she alters her "central religious beliefs on human nature and conduct," according to a civil complaint filed last week.

"[Augusta State University] faculty have promised to expel Miss Keeton from the graduate Counselor Education Program not because of poor academic showing or demonstrated deficiencies in clinical performance, but simply because she has communicated both inside and outside the classroom that she holds to Christian ethical convictions on matters of human sexuality and gender identity," the 43-page lawsuit reads.

Keeton, according to the lawsuit, was informed by school officials in late May that she would be asked to take part in a remediation plan due to faculty concerns regarding her beliefs pertaining to gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender issues.

"The faculty identifies Miss Keeton's views as indicative of her improper professional disposition to persons of such populations," the lawsuit reads.

In a statement to FoxNews.com, Augusta State University officials declined to comment specifically on the litigation, but said the university does not discriminate on the basis of students' moral, religious, political or personal views or beliefs.

"The Counselor Education Program is grounded in the core principles of the American Counseling Association and the American School Counselor Association, which defines the roles and responsibilities of professional counselors in its code of ethics," the statement read. "The code is included in the curriculum of the counseling education program, which states that counselors in training have the same responsibility as professional counselors to understand and follow the ACA Code of Ethics."

The Code of Ethics prohibits counselors from discriminating based on a number of factors, including gender identity and sexual orientation. "Counselors do not discriminate against clients, students, employees, supervisees, or research participants in a manner that has a negative impact on these persons," the code says.

Keeton's lawsuit alleges that the university's remediation plan noted Keeton's "disagreement in several class discussions and in written assignments with the gay and lesbian 'lifestyle,'" as well as Keeton's belief that those "lifestyles" are cases of identity confusion.

If Keeton fails to complete the plan, including additional reading and the writing of papers describing the impact on her beliefs, she will be expelled from the Counselor Education Program, the lawsuit claims.

Keeton has stated that she believes sexual behavior is the "result of accountable personal choice rather than an inevitability deriving from deterministic forces," according to the suit.

"She also has affirmed binary male-female gender, with one or the other being fixed in each person at their creation, and not a social construct or individual choice subject to alteration by the person so created," the lawsuit reads. "Further, she has expressed her view that homosexuality is a 'lifestyle,' not a 'state of being.'"

David French, senior counsel at the Alliance Defense Fund, which filed the lawsuit against Augusta State University on Keeton's behalf, said no university has the right to force a citizen to change their beliefs on any topic.

"The university has told Jennifer Keeton that if she doesn't change her beliefs, she can't stay in the program," he told FoxNews.com. "She won't even have a chance to counsel any students; she won't have a chance to get a counseling degree; she'll be expelled."

Keeton, who is not available for interviews according to French, believes that people have "moral choices" regarding their sexuality, he said.

"A student has a right to express their point of view in and out of class without fear or censorship or expulsion," French said.

Marc wrote:

"The Counselor Education Program is grounded in the core principles of the American Counseling Association and the American School Counselor Association, which defines the roles and responsibilities of professional counselors in its code of ethics," the statement read. "The code is included in the curriculum of the counseling education program, which states that counselors in training have the same responsibility as professional counselors to understand and follow the ACA Code of Ethics."

The Code of Ethics prohibits counselors from discriminating based on a number of factors, including gender identity and sexual orientation. "Counselors do not discriminate against clients, students, employees, supervisees, or research participants in a manner that has a negative impact on these persons," the code says.

Nystyle709 wrote: What kind of counselor is she going to make if she displays preconceived notions about any clients that she will have in the future?

Forgiveness_Man wrote:The problem with this is that every human being has preconceived notions built into them,

and I am sure if she was displaying a bias from the other side, there'd be no questions asked. Human beings by nature can never be 100% objective. I am sure this woman could easily be just as effective a counselor by her beliefs, maybe even more. IMO, this is just plain ole discrimination, and justifying it behind "she has to be objective" is no better an excuse than those who try to keep homosexuals out of jobs use.

Nystyle709 wrote:
You have no problems with this case and you're in defense of her because you believe the same crap she does. How can you NOT see that her projecting or influencing her strong beliefs on others (which the school sees that's she's more likely to do in her future career) isn't a good idea? And it damn sure doesn't suit someone trying to be a counselor. If people can just remove their religious notions for a sec and think with a logical mind, this world would be a much better place.

Forgiveness_Man wrote:

You're the one who seems to cry intolerance while being intolerant madam. And okay fine, I revise my statement. Every human being is TAUGHT to have preconceived notions in them, including every other student in that program NOT being threatened with expulsion.

In other words, you don't care about a counselor not being objective unless they have convictions you don't have.

Oh please, all counselors use their beliefs on others. I like how unreligious people want religious people to shove what they believe away but they can shove their modernist secular propaganda on everyone else and the world needs to stop and listen. Give me a break. The only reason YOU have a problem with this case is cause you DONT agree with her. If she were somebody who hated religious people, you'd be pissed if she was expelled. Sorry, but no logical person can argue that this girl would make a bad counselor without saying the same with all the students in this program. The fact is that the girl is not a bad counselor cause she has religious beliefs.

Forgiveness_Man wrote:If she were somebody who hated religious people, you'd be pissed if she was expelled. Sorry, but no logical person can argue that this girl would make a bad counselor without saying the same with all the students in this program. The fact is that the girl is not a bad counselor cause she has religious beliefs.

Rule Breaker wrote:If you're going to go into the field of psychology, you should be socio-politically neutral. Her beliefs would become a liability, and have the potential to be dangerous.

ariesjow wrote:Actually, it will be fairly easy to argue that she would be a bad counselor if she's already fervently projecting her personal religious beliefs in classroom discussions and on written assignment in this manner. She likely has many classmates who share similar beliefs on homosexuality but the school appears to be concerned that she can't shut her mouth enough on these issues to adhere to professional standards. This doesn't mean that she'll ultimately be a bad counselor because she has these beliefs nor does it mean that counselors typically don't interject their personal beliefs as a practice. It just means this lady clearly lacks self-control at this juncture to follow the rules.

Also, I assure you that this school would likely treat a person who espoused hatred for religious people in exactly same way. A similar lawsuit on that basis would have the exact same gaping holes as this one of the facts. It's not her beliefs that they are rejecting but her apparent inability to balance her beliefs with her professional responsibilities.

Forgiveness_Man wrote:@NY: Not worth my time anymore.




I have a feeling her "inability to shut her mouth" is greatly exaggerated. And if a liberal were unable to shut up about hating religious people, would they feel the same way? Not unless the religion was Islam.

I really doubt that. Sorry, but this country doesn't care if you offend certain people. It only cares if you offend their designated favorite "minorities." Besides, they outright said she has to change her beliefs, so clearly it is her beliefs they are rejecting. That's discrimination.

Forgiveness_Man wrote:@NY: Not worth my time anymore.

ariesjow wrote:

Don't let your own agreement with the Plaintiff's views warp the facts here. Re-read the article. The only version of the facts we're getting are the Plaintiff's version embellished by her attorneys. There's no indication that Augusta State told her to "change her beliefs." That's simply the argument that her attorneys at Alliance Defense Fund are trying to frame based on the University requiring her to takes remediation classes. I'm an attorney as well so I know all about trying to advance a constructive argument when the facts don't directly support you. That's what it appears to be here. Her written papers will probably make the case for Augusta State. She will lose at trial absent more definitive proof. The University could easily show the following:

(1) that she has been unable to "understand and follow the ACA Code of Ethics;"
(2) that they did not seek to change her religious beliefs;
(3) and that other students who may share her personal beliefs on homosexuality are able to follow the Code.

Case closed. She wouldn't need to rely on a Christian conservative defense fund if she had a stronger case and could actually prove the University infringed on the free exercise of her religion. A large law firm or the ACLU would have swiftly taken up this cause on her behalf. Many people will let their own personal belief cloud the facts here similar to what you're doing. So her counsel is smart by at least shopping this around to media outlets like Fox News with her pretty face plastered on it. It builds public outcry. That's probably the only way they can at least get a nuisance settlement out of this. Alliance Defense Fund would declare such a settlement a "victory" and use it to propel their own cause. This lady probably won't stand a chance in hell at trial in Federal Court.