http://www.alliancealert.org news from the frontlines of the culture war Thu, 24 May 2012 23:12:00 +0000 en hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.1.3 http://www.alliancealert.org/2012/05/18/travis-barham-a-funny-thing-happened-on-the-way-to-vanderbilt%e2%80%99s-graduation/ http://www.alliancealert.org/2012/05/18/travis-barham-a-funny-thing-happened-on-the-way-to-vanderbilt%e2%80%99s-graduation/#comments Fri, 18 May 2012 18:46:57 +0000 ADF Alliance Alert http://www.alliancealert.org/?p=134107 Speak Up Movement University Blog: But the remarkable thing was who delivered the prayers. A Hindu student gave the Hindu prayer, a Jewish student gave the Jewish prayer, a Muslim student delivered the Muslim prayer, and Christian student likewise represented his faith . . . But this arrangement is also at odds with the new “all comers” policy that Vanderbilt imposes only on religious groups. To be consistent, Chancellor Zeppos should have mixed everything up. ]]> http://www.alliancealert.org/2012/05/18/travis-barham-a-funny-thing-happened-on-the-way-to-vanderbilt%e2%80%99s-graduation/feed/ 0 http://www.alliancealert.org/2012/05/04/pro-lifers-not-protected-at-western-kentucky-u/ http://www.alliancealert.org/2012/05/04/pro-lifers-not-protected-at-western-kentucky-u/#comments Fri, 04 May 2012 16:27:42 +0000 ADF Alliance Alert http://www.alliancealert.org/?p=132909 One News Now: In a letter [PDF] to university officials, Travis Barham of Alliance Defense Fund (ADF) complains that officials and the teacher of Elaina Smith, the art student who vandalized the crosses, were aware that this was going to occur, yet they did nothing to stop it. He points out that it is the duty of university officials to protect students' First Amendment rights, not "passively allow them to be violated." [more] ]]> http://www.alliancealert.org/2012/05/04/pro-lifers-not-protected-at-western-kentucky-u/feed/ 0 http://www.alliancealert.org/2012/04/30/travis-barham-free-speech-versus-vandalism-at-western-kentucky-university/ http://www.alliancealert.org/2012/04/30/travis-barham-free-speech-versus-vandalism-at-western-kentucky-university/#comments Mon, 30 Apr 2012 16:31:08 +0000 ADF Alliance Alert http://www.alliancealert.org/?p=132450 Travis Barham at the Speak Up University Blog: Though universities frequently wax eloquent about the critical importance of free speech, they often fail to protect vigorously the basic freedoms of pro-life students. And Western Kentucky University is the latest example of this gap between rhetoric and reality on campus. ]]> http://www.alliancealert.org/2012/04/30/travis-barham-free-speech-versus-vandalism-at-western-kentucky-university/feed/ 0 http://www.alliancealert.org/2012/04/30/travis-barham-vanderbilt%e2%80%99s-mask-slips-revealing-its-hostility-to-christians/ http://www.alliancealert.org/2012/04/30/travis-barham-vanderbilt%e2%80%99s-mask-slips-revealing-its-hostility-to-christians/#comments Mon, 30 Apr 2012 16:28:20 +0000 ADF Alliance Alert http://www.alliancealert.org/?p=132448 Travis Barham at the Speak Up Movement University Blog: Everything changed last week when the group learned that it would not be recognized unless it made one change to its constitution. How did Vanderbilt want the group to change? It must stop requiring leaders to have a “personal commitment to Jesus Christ.” The University dictated that this ministry can only select leaders based on “level and quality of past involvement, commitment to the organization, and demonstrated leadership ability.” ]]> http://www.alliancealert.org/2012/04/30/travis-barham-vanderbilt%e2%80%99s-mask-slips-revealing-its-hostility-to-christians/feed/ 0 http://www.alliancealert.org/2012/04/27/adf-western-ky-univ-turns-blind-eye-to-vandalized-pro-life-display/ http://www.alliancealert.org/2012/04/27/adf-western-ky-univ-turns-blind-eye-to-vandalized-pro-life-display/#comments Fri, 27 Apr 2012 20:54:42 +0000 ADF Alliance Alert http://www.alliancealert.org/?p=132371 ]]> http://www.alliancealert.org/2012/04/27/adf-western-ky-univ-turns-blind-eye-to-vandalized-pro-life-display/feed/ 0 http://www.alliancealert.org/2012/04/27/pro-abortion-student-vandalizing-pro-life-display-won%e2%80%99t-apologize/ http://www.alliancealert.org/2012/04/27/pro-abortion-student-vandalizing-pro-life-display-won%e2%80%99t-apologize/#comments Fri, 27 Apr 2012 16:38:03 +0000 ADF Alliance Alert http://www.alliancealert.org/?p=132325 Life News: This morning, our friends at the Alliance Defense Fund faxed a letter to WKU President Ransdell requesting that they respond to our four requests. (View the ADF letter here.) ]]> http://www.alliancealert.org/2012/04/27/pro-abortion-student-vandalizing-pro-life-display-won%e2%80%99t-apologize/feed/ 0 http://www.alliancealert.org/2012/04/09/another-1st-amendment-case-for-a-christian-one-news-now/ http://www.alliancealert.org/2012/04/09/another-1st-amendment-case-for-a-christian-one-news-now/#comments Mon, 09 Apr 2012 16:27:25 +0000 ADF Alliance Alert http://www.alliancealert.org/?p=130658 One News Now: "This is similar to some cases with students who have objected to assignments that force them to compromise and violate their religious beliefs -- and many of the students have obtained relief by filing First Amendment claims in court," says Travis Barh[a]m, ADF litigation staff counsel. ]]> http://www.alliancealert.org/2012/04/09/another-1st-amendment-case-for-a-christian-one-news-now/feed/ 0 http://www.alliancealert.org/2012/03/12/travis-barham-on-the-bottom-line-with-roger-marsh-dave-householder-christianity-not-a-religion-make-up-your-own-mind/ http://www.alliancealert.org/2012/03/12/travis-barham-on-the-bottom-line-with-roger-marsh-dave-householder-christianity-not-a-religion-make-up-your-own-mind/#comments Mon, 12 Mar 2012 16:58:08 +0000 ADF Alliance Alert http://www.alliancealert.org/?p=128265 Travis Barham on on The Bottom Line with Roger Marsh & Dave Householder to discuss this: UNC-Greensboro: Christian club isn’t religious. | MP3 audio 23:45 mins ]]> http://www.alliancealert.org/2012/03/12/travis-barham-on-the-bottom-line-with-roger-marsh-dave-householder-christianity-not-a-religion-make-up-your-own-mind/feed/ 0 http://www.alliancealert.org/2012/02/14/travis-c-barham-vanderbilts-nondiscrimination-nonsense/ http://www.alliancealert.org/2012/02/14/travis-c-barham-vanderbilts-nondiscrimination-nonsense/#comments Tue, 14 Feb 2012 12:38:10 +0000 ADF Alliance Alert http://www.alliancealert.org/?p=125673 Christian Post: Recently, Chancellor Nicholas Zeppos' "message" on "nondiscrimination" announced the end of any meaningful religious freedom at Vanderbilt. ]]> http://www.alliancealert.org/2012/02/14/travis-c-barham-vanderbilts-nondiscrimination-nonsense/feed/ 0 http://www.alliancealert.org/2011/10/18/supreme-court-declines-free-speech-case/ http://www.alliancealert.org/2011/10/18/supreme-court-declines-free-speech-case/#comments Tue, 18 Oct 2011 10:42:52 +0000 ADF Alliance Alert http://www.alliancealert.org/?p=116116 OneNewsNow.com: Attorney Travis Barham, legal counsel of the Alliance Defense Fund (ADF), then appealed to the U.S. Supreme Court. “We were hoping that the court would step in and just establish the principle that students have the legal right to challenge speech codes that actually muzzle their speech,” he says. ]]> http://www.alliancealert.org/2011/10/18/supreme-court-declines-free-speech-case/feed/ 0 http://www.alliancealert.org/2011/10/10/supreme-court-declines-hearing-on-md-student-groups-appeal/ http://www.alliancealert.org/2011/10/10/supreme-court-declines-hearing-on-md-student-groups-appeal/#comments Mon, 10 Oct 2011 11:14:18 +0000 ADF Alliance Alert http://www.alliancealert.org/?p=115805 The Daily Times | delmarvanow.com: The Alliance Defense Fund, an Arizona-based group of Christian attorneys, filed a certiorari petition with the U.S. Supreme Court in May on behalf of Rock for Life-UMBC, asking the court to determine whether the students had legal standing to challenge "speech codes" governing their behavior. "We were hoping that the Supreme Court would intervene and uphold the First Amendment freedoms and allow the students to challenge the speech codes," said Travis Barham, Alliance Defense Fund litigation counsel. ]]> http://www.alliancealert.org/2011/10/10/supreme-court-declines-hearing-on-md-student-groups-appeal/feed/ 0 http://www.alliancealert.org/2011/08/19/uncw-an-island-of-intolerance/ http://www.alliancealert.org/2011/08/19/uncw-an-island-of-intolerance/#comments Fri, 19 Aug 2011 10:17:59 +0000 ADF Alliance Alert http://www.alliancealert.org/?p=111261 OneNewsNow.com: "A branch of UNC Wilmington, a branch of the ... North Carolina state government is setting up lists of churches that approve or mirror its views on sexual morality. That's really outside the balance of what state institutions are supposed to be doing," contends Travis Barham of the Alliance Defense Fund (ADF) . . . "Universities are so intolerant in their attitude and unconstitutional in the way they operate," the attorney contends. "Instead of being the marketplaces of ideas that they're supposed to be, they've become these islands of intolerance; they will not tolerate any views that differ from theirs." ]]> http://www.alliancealert.org/2011/08/19/uncw-an-island-of-intolerance/feed/ 0 http://www.alliancealert.org/2011/08/18/n-c-university-puts-out-list-of-%e2%80%9cgay-friendly%e2%80%9d-churches/ http://www.alliancealert.org/2011/08/18/n-c-university-puts-out-list-of-%e2%80%9cgay-friendly%e2%80%9d-churches/#comments Thu, 18 Aug 2011 10:32:54 +0000 ADF Alliance Alert http://www.alliancealert.org/?p=111162 The New American: Travis Barham of the Alliance Defense Fund, which was involved in the Georgia case, said that whether the Wilmington college is “promoting denominations or whether they’re promoting individual churches ... that’s not the business of a university.” ]]> http://www.alliancealert.org/2011/08/18/n-c-university-puts-out-list-of-%e2%80%9cgay-friendly%e2%80%9d-churches/feed/ 0 http://www.alliancealert.org/2011/08/16/north-carolina-university-puts-out-list-of-gay-friendly-churches/ http://www.alliancealert.org/2011/08/16/north-carolina-university-puts-out-list-of-gay-friendly-churches/#comments Tue, 16 Aug 2011 10:25:29 +0000 ADF Alliance Alert http://www.alliancealert.org/?p=110890 FoxNews.com: Travis Barham, who worked on the Georgia case as part of the conservative Alliance Defense Fund, which has defended Adams in a court battle with the university over a promotion he claims he was wrongly denied, said he's not sure whether the University of North Carolina Wilmington is in danger of a similar violation. But Barham questioned whether it was appropriate for the university to put out such a guide. "Whether they're promoting denominations or whether they're promoting individual churches ... that's not the business of a university," Barham said. | Daily Mail: North Carolina University Puts Out List of 'Gay Friendly' Churches ]]> http://www.alliancealert.org/2011/08/16/north-carolina-university-puts-out-list-of-gay-friendly-churches/feed/ 0 http://www.alliancealert.org/2011/04/06/travis-barham-victory-for-academic-freedom-4th-circuit-says-professor%e2%80%99s-speeches-columns-protected-by-first-amendment/ http://www.alliancealert.org/2011/04/06/travis-barham-victory-for-academic-freedom-4th-circuit-says-professor%e2%80%99s-speeches-columns-protected-by-first-amendment/#comments Wed, 06 Apr 2011 21:22:42 +0000 ADF Alliance Alert http://www.alliancealert.org/?p=100337 Speak Up Movement University Blog: A University of North Carolina–Wilmington professor’s speeches and columns are fully protected by the First Amendment, according to a published decision handed down Wednesday by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 4th Circuit. Alliance Defense Fund attorneys contended that criminology professor Mike Adams was denied a promotion unconstitutionally because university officials were hostile to the religious and political views he espoused in his columns and speeches . . . ]]> http://www.alliancealert.org/2011/04/06/travis-barham-victory-for-academic-freedom-4th-circuit-says-professor%e2%80%99s-speeches-columns-protected-by-first-amendment/feed/ 0 http://www.alliancealert.org/2011/03/22/travis-barham-standing-at-the-supreme-court-when-can-students-challenge-speech-codes/ http://www.alliancealert.org/2011/03/22/travis-barham-standing-at-the-supreme-court-when-can-students-challenge-speech-codes/#comments Tue, 22 Mar 2011 17:40:42 +0000 ADF Alliance Alert http://www.alliancealert.org/?p=98804 Travis Barham at the Speak Up Movement University Blog: Standing.  For most people, it is something they mastered when they were about one or two years old.  For lawyers, it is a migraine-inducing set of legal doctrines that dictates whether someone has the right to bring a lawsuit in federal court . . . As David French explains at Phi Beta Cons, this standing question is critical for students because it determines whether courts will even review their schools’ speech codes.  Until recently, the unquestioned rule was that students could challenge policies that “chilled” their speech. | Related ADF Media Information ]]> http://www.alliancealert.org/2011/03/22/travis-barham-standing-at-the-supreme-court-when-can-students-challenge-speech-codes/feed/ 0 http://www.alliancealert.org/2011/01/26/prayer-student-speakers-unwelcome/ http://www.alliancealert.org/2011/01/26/prayer-student-speakers-unwelcome/#comments Wed, 26 Jan 2011 19:50:25 +0000 Admin http://www.alliancealert.org/?p=93519 OneNewsNow: "'The university is the entity that decided to let the students choose, and then once the students chose overwhelmingly to include prayers in the ceremony, the university decided that . . . it would not allow that to happen,' reports Alliance Defense Fund (ADF) attorney [Travis Barham]." ]]> http://www.alliancealert.org/2011/01/26/prayer-student-speakers-unwelcome/feed/ 0 http://www.alliancealert.org/2011/01/26/alan-sears-universities-continue-nursing-grudges-against-conscience-and-liberty/ http://www.alliancealert.org/2011/01/26/alan-sears-universities-continue-nursing-grudges-against-conscience-and-liberty/#comments Wed, 26 Jan 2011 17:19:52 +0000 Admin http://www.alliancealert.org/?p=93453 Alan Sears writing at Inside the Issues: "The fight goes on, to protect the vital freedom of health care professionals to honor their conscience and religious convictions, particularly with regard to abortion. Please pray that Christian medical professionals across the country will continue to stand for that freedom, and that ADF will continue to be blessed to successfully defend those stands." ]]> http://www.alliancealert.org/2011/01/26/alan-sears-universities-continue-nursing-grudges-against-conscience-and-liberty/feed/ 0 http://www.alliancealert.org/2011/01/26/prayer-controversy-at-wvu-parkersburg/ http://www.alliancealert.org/2011/01/26/prayer-controversy-at-wvu-parkersburg/#comments Wed, 26 Jan 2011 16:52:01 +0000 Admin http://www.alliancealert.org/?p=93440 West Virginia Public Broadcasting: "'The issue here now is no longer prayer, the issue is can students advance their perspective as to whether prayer should be included or not without being retaliated against and that is where the university has crossed a clear constitutional line,' said [ADF attorney Travis Barham]." ]]> http://www.alliancealert.org/2011/01/26/prayer-controversy-at-wvu-parkersburg/feed/ 0 http://www.alliancealert.org/2011/01/21/wv-university-stands-against-graduation-prayer/ http://www.alliancealert.org/2011/01/21/wv-university-stands-against-graduation-prayer/#comments Fri, 21 Jan 2011 16:46:02 +0000 Admin http://www.alliancealert.org/?p=92758 Charisma Magazine: "Will West Virginia University-Parkersburg officials reverse their decision to eliminate all student speakers from its nursing program’s pinning ceremony on account of a prayer request? Alliance Defense Fund (ADF) attorneys have sent a second letter strongly urging the school to do just that . . . 'Christian students shouldn’t be censored for expressing their beliefs. Retaliating against students who simply asked to exercise their freedoms at a public graduation ceremony by removing all student speakers is simply unacceptable,' says ADF Litigation Counsel Travis Barham." ]]> http://www.alliancealert.org/2011/01/21/wv-university-stands-against-graduation-prayer/feed/ 0 http://www.alliancealert.org/2011/01/20/insult-to-injury-wvu-parkersburg-cuts-all-student-speakers-at-graduation-after-students%e2%80%99-plea-to-reinstate-prayers/ http://www.alliancealert.org/2011/01/20/insult-to-injury-wvu-parkersburg-cuts-all-student-speakers-at-graduation-after-students%e2%80%99-plea-to-reinstate-prayers/#comments Thu, 20 Jan 2011 16:44:22 +0000 ADF Alliance Alert http://www.alliancealert.org/?p=92481 ]]> http://www.alliancealert.org/2011/01/20/insult-to-injury-wvu-parkersburg-cuts-all-student-speakers-at-graduation-after-students%e2%80%99-plea-to-reinstate-prayers/feed/ 0 http://www.alliancealert.org/2011/01/20/pinning-ceremony-and-first-amendment-retaliation-at-university-of-west-virginia-parkersburg/ http://www.alliancealert.org/2011/01/20/pinning-ceremony-and-first-amendment-retaliation-at-university-of-west-virginia-parkersburg/#comments Thu, 20 Jan 2011 16:40:56 +0000 Admin http://www.alliancealert.org/?p=92458 Travis Barham writing at Speak Up Movement / University: "For years, students graduating from the West Virginia University, Parkersburg nursing program had regularly included prayers in their pinning (i.e., graduation) ceremonies. And in mid-November, University officials told students that they needed to vote on three issues regarding their ceremony and that the majority vote would carry the day. One issue was whether to include an invocation and benediction, and the students voted overwhelmingly (40-to-4) to include them . . . But the University responded differently. Suddenly saying that a 100% vote was required, it banned all prayer from the ceremony." ]]> http://www.alliancealert.org/2011/01/20/pinning-ceremony-and-first-amendment-retaliation-at-university-of-west-virginia-parkersburg/feed/ 0 http://www.alliancealert.org/2010/12/17/travis-barham-till-wvu-parkersburg-freezes-over/ http://www.alliancealert.org/2010/12/17/travis-barham-till-wvu-parkersburg-freezes-over/#comments Fri, 17 Dec 2010 20:34:39 +0000 Admin http://www.alliancealert.org/?p=87493 Travis C. Barham writing at Speak Up Movement / University: "On Wednesday, [WVU-Parkersburg] issued a press release, which is notable primarily for its efforts to evade the actual decisions that caused the nursing students to contact ADF in the first place . . . the University claims to 'respect[] its students' right of religious choice.' That is, it respects that choice unless those students choose—by a more than 90% margin—to express their religious beliefs publicly. As long as they make the choice the University likes (i.e., to keep their prayers silent, to keep their religion out of sight and out of mind), the University respects their choice." ]]> http://www.alliancealert.org/2010/12/17/travis-barham-till-wvu-parkersburg-freezes-over/feed/ 0 http://www.alliancealert.org/2010/12/16/prayer-controversy-at-wvu/ http://www.alliancealert.org/2010/12/16/prayer-controversy-at-wvu/#comments Thu, 16 Dec 2010 16:32:03 +0000 Admin http://www.alliancealert.org/?p=87035 WTAP: [Travis Barham], Alliance Defense Fund Litigation Staff Counsel said 'They don't have to purge their ceremonies of all things religious and fundamentally they should let their students do what the Constitution allows them to do and that is to pray publicly at this event.'" ]]> http://www.alliancealert.org/2010/12/16/prayer-controversy-at-wvu/feed/ 0 http://www.alliancealert.org/2010/12/15/no-unanimity-no-prayers-at-wvu/ http://www.alliancealert.org/2010/12/15/no-unanimity-no-prayers-at-wvu/#comments Wed, 15 Dec 2010 16:48:10 +0000 Admin http://www.alliancealert.org/?p=86700 OneNewsNow: "The Alliance Defense Fund is urging a university in West Virginia to restore the traditional invocation and benediction to the nursing program's pinning ceremony scheduled for tomorrow . . . "The federal courts addressed this very issue -- the issue of graduation prayers at universities -- and they have unanimously upheld these prayers [as consistent with the First Amendment]," [ADF Attorney Travis Barham] explains." ]]> http://www.alliancealert.org/2010/12/15/no-unanimity-no-prayers-at-wvu/feed/ 0 http://www.alliancealert.org/2010/12/14/travis-barham-the-prayer-grinches-strike-again/ http://www.alliancealert.org/2010/12/14/travis-barham-the-prayer-grinches-strike-again/#comments Tue, 14 Dec 2010 16:19:52 +0000 Admin http://www.alliancealert.org/?p=86417 Travis C. Barham writing at Speak Up Movement / University: "While the general story line may be familiar, the facts here are unique. During class in November, the graduating students were told that they would need to vote on three issues related to their pinning ceremony (the nursing equivalent to graduation). One of these issues was whether to include prayers in the ceremony as prior classes had regularly done. But when the students approved the prayers by more than a 90% margin (40-4) and selected a student’s father to give the prayers, the University suddenly decided majority rule would no longer apply." ]]> http://www.alliancealert.org/2010/12/14/travis-barham-the-prayer-grinches-strike-again/feed/ 0 http://www.alliancealert.org/2010/12/14/adf-letter-urges-wvu-parkersburg-to-reinstate-prayers-at-graduation-ceremony/ http://www.alliancealert.org/2010/12/14/adf-letter-urges-wvu-parkersburg-to-reinstate-prayers-at-graduation-ceremony/#comments Tue, 14 Dec 2010 15:56:09 +0000 ADF Alliance Alert http://www.alliancealert.org/?p=86402 ]]> http://www.alliancealert.org/2010/12/14/adf-letter-urges-wvu-parkersburg-to-reinstate-prayers-at-graduation-ceremony/feed/ 0 http://www.alliancealert.org/2010/10/13/film-portrays-bible-as-o-k-with-homosexuality/ http://www.alliancealert.org/2010/10/13/film-portrays-bible-as-o-k-with-homosexuality/#comments Wed, 13 Oct 2010 16:14:56 +0000 ADF Alliance Alert http://www.alliancealert.org/?p=76375 Christian Web News: "Barham explains, 'It claimed that those who believe that the Bible teaches against homosexual conduct...have a -- quote -- 'fifth-grade understanding of God'. The First Amendment is quite clear. Going back all the way to the Founding Fathers, the clearest command of the First Amendment is that government cannot prefer certain religious views over others and certain religious denominations over others. [But] that's exactly what this film was doing -- and we're just very pleased that Lakeshore Tech has recognized that and agreed not to show that film anymore.'" ]]> http://www.alliancealert.org/2010/10/13/film-portrays-bible-as-o-k-with-homosexuality/feed/ 0 http://www.alliancealert.org/2010/10/12/pro-homosexual-film-challenged-nixed/ http://www.alliancealert.org/2010/10/12/pro-homosexual-film-challenged-nixed/#comments Tue, 12 Oct 2010 15:44:29 +0000 ADF Alliance Alert http://www.alliancealert.org/?p=76230 One News Now: "It claimed that those who believe that the Bible teaches against homosexual conduct...have a -- quote -- 'fifth-grade understanding of God,' Barham explains. 'The First Amendment is quite clear. Going back all the way to the Founding Fathers, the clearest command of the First Amendment is that government cannot prefer certain religious views over others and certain religious denominations over others. [But] that's exactly what this film was doing -- and we're just very pleased that Lakeshore Tech has recognized that and agreed not to show that film anymore.'" ]]> http://www.alliancealert.org/2010/10/12/pro-homosexual-film-challenged-nixed/feed/ 0 http://www.alliancealert.org/2010/07/14/university-of-illinois-administrators-call-for-review-of-professors-dismissal/ http://www.alliancealert.org/2010/07/14/university-of-illinois-administrators-call-for-review-of-professors-dismissal/#comments Wed, 14 Jul 2010 14:03:31 +0000 ADF Alliance Alert http://www.alliancealert.org/2010/07/14/university-of-illinois-administrators-call-for-review-of-professors-dismissal/ CNA (Spanish Version): Administrators at the University of Illinois are asking a faculty committee to review the case of a professor who was fired after a student complained that his explanation of the Catholic teaching on homosexuality was “hate speech.” . . . he Alliance Defense Fund responded to the situation by sending a letter to the University of Illinois calling for Howell to be immediately reinstated. Travis Barham, litigation counsel for ADF, asserted that what is at stake is the freedom of speech. “According to decades of Supreme Court precedent, the University simply cannot relieve Dr. Howell of his teaching post based on how third parties respond to his speech,” Barham said. “For decades, the Supreme Court has consistently held that university campuses are 'not enclaves immune from the sweep of the First Amendment.'” If the university does not respond to the letter by July 16, the legal fund said it will advise Howell to file a lawsuit. ]]> http://www.alliancealert.org/2010/07/14/university-of-illinois-administrators-call-for-review-of-professors-dismissal/feed/ 0 http://www.alliancealert.org/2010/07/13/legal-fund-calls-on-university-of-illinois-to-reinstate-catholic-professor/ http://www.alliancealert.org/2010/07/13/legal-fund-calls-on-university-of-illinois-to-reinstate-catholic-professor/#comments Tue, 13 Jul 2010 14:03:05 +0000 ADF Alliance Alert http://www.alliancealert.org/2010/07/13/legal-fund-calls-on-university-of-illinois-to-reinstate-catholic-professor/ CNA: "Travis Barham, litigation staff counsel for the ADF Center for Academic Freedom, wrote a letter on July 12 to several officials at the University of Illinois, including the president, the Dean of the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences and the head of the religion department. 'In relieving Dr. Howell of his teaching responsibilities, the University is firing him for teaching Catholic doctrine in a class about Catholic doctrine,' Barham said. He noted that 'the University's only reason for removing Dr. Howell is that other students, faculty, and staff disliked his speech.' However, he continued, the First Amendment 'exists precisely to protect controversial ideas from being silenced' and 'affords broad protection for a professor's speech in the classroom.'" ]]> http://www.alliancealert.org/2010/07/13/legal-fund-calls-on-university-of-illinois-to-reinstate-catholic-professor/feed/ 0 http://www.alliancealert.org/2010/07/09/ideological-spectrum-backs-rejected-professor/ http://www.alliancealert.org/2010/07/09/ideological-spectrum-backs-rejected-professor/#comments Fri, 09 Jul 2010 15:40:26 +0000 ADF Alliance Alert http://www.alliancealert.org/2010/07/09/ideological-spectrum-backs-rejected-professor/ One News Now: "A professor in North Carolina who claims he was denied a promotion because he wrote some religious and conservative-leaning opinion columns is receiving broad support from academic circles. After a judge ruled against Dr. Mike Adams in a lawsuit he filed against the University of North Carolina-Wilmington, the criminology professor decided to appeal the decision. The Alliance Defense Fund (ADF) is representing him, and litigation counsel Travis Barham more deeply explains the reason for the suit . . . " ]]> http://www.alliancealert.org/2010/07/09/ideological-spectrum-backs-rejected-professor/feed/ 0 http://www.alliancealert.org/2010/07/09/travis-barham-on-kfuo-with-roland-lettner-student-rights-at-graduation-ceremonies/ http://www.alliancealert.org/2010/07/09/travis-barham-on-kfuo-with-roland-lettner-student-rights-at-graduation-ceremonies/#comments Fri, 09 Jul 2010 14:10:41 +0000 ADF Alliance Alert http://www.alliancealert.org/2010/07/09/travis-barham-on-kfuo-with-roland-lettner-student-rights-at-graduation-ceremonies/ Travis Barham appeared KFUO with Roland Lettner to discuss student rights at graduation ceremonies. This was recorded last week and includes some discussion of the CLS v. Martinez ruling. | MP3 22:04 mins ]]> http://www.alliancealert.org/2010/07/09/travis-barham-on-kfuo-with-roland-lettner-student-rights-at-graduation-ceremonies/feed/ 0 http://www.alliancealert.org/2010/07/07/travis-barham-adams-appeals-and-wins-some-friends/ http://www.alliancealert.org/2010/07/07/travis-barham-adams-appeals-and-wins-some-friends/#comments Wed, 07 Jul 2010 22:09:03 +0000 Admin http://www.alliancealert.org/2010/07/07/travis-barham-adams-appeals-and-wins-some-friends/ Travis C. Barham writing at Speak Up Movement / University: "Back in March, a federal district court in North Carolina ruled that Dr. Mike Adams’ nationally syndicated columns were not protected by the First Amendment. ... Well, the next chapter in Dr. Adams’ quest to end discrimination against Christian and conservative professors has now unfolded. Last week, ADF filed the opening brief in his appeal to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit. And just days ago, the American Association of University Professors, FIRE, and the Thomas Jefferson Center for the Protection of Free Expression filed a friend of the court brief on his behalf." ]]> http://www.alliancealert.org/2010/07/07/travis-barham-adams-appeals-and-wins-some-friends/feed/ 0 http://www.alliancealert.org/2010/07/02/david-french-a-silver-lining-in-a-terrible-court-decision/ http://www.alliancealert.org/2010/07/02/david-french-a-silver-lining-in-a-terrible-court-decision/#comments Fri, 02 Jul 2010 20:49:04 +0000 Admin http://www.alliancealert.org/?p=65044 David French writing at Phi Beta Cons: "While I fervently wish CLS v. Martinez had gone the right way, the decision has at least spawned a tremendous burst of impassioned commentary from those who value the freedom of association and understand the importance of the university as a marketplace of ideas. As always, FIRE is one-stop-shopping for those interested in penetrating and persuasive analysis. Minding the Campus has run important pieces by K. C. Johnson and John Leo. Over at the Alliance Defense Fund Academic Freedom File, [Travis Barham] has put together a comprehensive media roundup." ]]> http://www.alliancealert.org/2010/07/02/david-french-a-silver-lining-in-a-terrible-court-decision/feed/ 0