Tag Archives: ZZ: Keeton v. Anderson-Wiley

Steve Williams at Care2.com: However, neither Deberry or Hohenwald authored the bill. Conservative David Fowler, president of the Family Action Council of Tennessee, drafted both versions of the bill with the help of the Alliance Defending Freedom, formally the Alliance Defense Fund, whose anti-gay agenda is well established. The ADF represented a Michigan student named Julea Ward who was expelled from a master’s degree program at Eastern Michigan University for refusing to counsel gay clients or clients who were sexually involved with someone but weren’t married. Ward received a $75,000 settlement last year. Another student, self-avowed devoted Christian Jennifer Keeton . . .

Ruth Malhotra and Jennifer Keeton at The Christian Post: Our cases, filed by Alliance Defending Freedom, defended the freedom of Christian and conservative students to speak on matters of public importance and to pursue our fields of study without compromising our convictions. In response to our lawsuits, the Tolerance Inquisition unleashed its fury. We faced everything from snide insults to false attacks on our character to threats of rape and murder so serious that Ruth was put under police protection.

Religion Clause Blog: In Keeton v. Anderson-Wiley, (SD GA, June 22, 2012), a Georgia federal district court, in a lengthy opinion, dismissed claims by a former graduate student in Augusta State University’s graduate counselor education program that her constitutional rights were infringed when she was dismissed for refusing to complete a required remediation plan.

Appellate Daily: The U.S. Supreme Court may soon have the chance to review conflicting decisions about students who have been expelled from state university counseling programs for requesting not to counsel gay clients or wanting to “convert” them.

ADF case information resource page (links to briefs) Keeton v. Anderson-Wiley, No. 10-13925 (11th Cir. Dec. 16, 2011) Before BARKETT, PRYOR and KRAVITCH, Circuit Judges. BARKETT, Circuit Judge: Jennifer Keeton was enrolled in the Counselor Education Program at Augusta State …

The Associated Press: Keeton’s lawsuit was brought by the Alliance Defense Fund, a Christian advocacy group that that presses faith-based cases in court nationwide. It argues that the First Amendment protects Keeton’s rights to share her beliefs about gays with others.

The Christian Institute: “Prof Roger Scruton was appointed quarter-time professorial fellow in moral philosophy and is due to take up his new role in the spring. But the university’s students’ association has hit out at comments Prof Scruton made in 2007, where he defended the rights of children in an article about same-sex adoption, and stated that homosexuality was ‘not normal’ . . . Last month a popular professor was barred from teaching at a US university . . . But with the backing of the Alliance Defense Fund (ADF), a US-based religious liberty organisation, Professor Kenneth Howell was swiftly reinstated . . . Also last month a Christian student in the US was told she will not be permitted to graduate unless she changed her beliefs.”

Atlanta Journal Constitution: “An online site, YouWager.com, is allowing people to wage money and opinions on possible outcomes of the federal lawsuit Keeton filed against Augusta State last week.”

The Washington Post / College Inc.: In a pair of recent court cases, a university’s interest in enforcing anti-bias rules collides with the rights of individual students to follow their Christian beliefs . . . ‘A public university student shouldn’t be threatened with expulsion for being a Christian and refusing to publicly renounce her faith,’ said ADF Senior Counsel [David French], in a statement. ‘Simply put, the university is imposing thought reform.’”

AolNews.: “‘The university has told Jennifer Keeton that if she doesn’t change her beliefs, she can’t stay in the program,’ [David French], senior counsel for the Alliance Defense Fund, 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.’”

GetReligion.org: “A news release sent out by the Alliance Defense Fund identifies Keeton as a “Christian” and indicates that she holds ‘mainstream Christian beliefs.’ However, given that 78 percent of Americans identify with some form of Christianity, according to Gallup, more specific information on Keeton’s religious background and affiliation would be extremely helpful.”

The Underground: “[David French], senior counsel said, ‘Jennifer Keeton has not been accused of mistreating a client. She’s being told, “You must change your beliefs or we’ll deny you a degree,”‘ The Augusta Chronicle said.”

ADF attorney Jordan Lorence appeared on the Zeb Bell Show to discuss this: Augusta State Univ. to counseling student: change your beliefs or get out. |
MP3 19:34 mins

ADF attorney David French appeared in several radio programs to discuss several cases including the Jennifer Keeton case reported in this ADF press release: ADF attorneys file suit after university officials require counseling student to abandon her beliefs to get a degree. | Point of View Radio – MP3 9:50 mins | Don Kroah Show on WAVA Radio – MP3 11:25 mins | Showgram with Jim Richards – MP3 13:10 mins | Victoria Taft Show KPAM 860 – MP3 16:57 mins

Aolnews.: “‘The university has told Jennifer Keeton that if she doesn’t change her beliefs, she can’t stay in the program,’ [David French], senior counsel for the Alliance Defense Fund, 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.’”

Care2 / Defend Civil Rights: “Representing Keeton is the Alliance Defense Fund, a self described Christian legal group that frequently takes on cases involving religious freedom of speech: ‘In a news release announcing the lawsuit against Augusta State, [David French], senior counsel for the Alliance Defense Fund, said: “A public-university student shouldn’t be threatened with expulsion for being Christian and refusing to publicly renounce her faith, but that’s exactly what’s happening here. Simply put, the university is imposing thought reform.”‘”

The United Families International: “Alliance Defense Fund (ADF) attorneys filed suit against the university on Keeton’s behalf on First Amendment grounds. According to ADF, university faculty said Keeton’s beliefs are unethical and incompatible with the counseling profession, saying it would hinder her ‘ability to be a multiculturally competent counselor, particularly with regard to working with gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender, and queer/questioning populations.’”

Chicago Pride: “‘Simply put, the university is imposing thought reform,’ said ADF Senior Counsel [David French]. ‘This type of leftist zero-tolerance policy is in place at far too many universities, and it must stop.’”

Washington Times: “‘It’s hard to conceive of a more blatant violation of her right to freedom of speech and her freedom of conscience,’ said [David French], senior legal counsel for the Alliance Defense Fund, a conservative-leaning group that defends religious freedom. ‘This type of leftist zero-tolerance policy is in place at far too many universities, and it must stop.’” | ADF News Release

College News: “Keeton is being represented by the Alliance Defense Fund—a coalition of Christian writers who have represented clients in similar suits. The Fund is also representing an Eastern Michigan University student who was dismissed from the school’s counseling program because of her beliefs on homosexuality.” | ADF News Release

Fox News: “[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.’” | ADF News Release

Huffington Post: “The Alliance Defense Fund, a Christian coalition, represents Ms. Keeton and has taken up a series of similar cases. The group’s website reports that it recently won a settlement for a biology professor at the San Jose City College who was terminated for allegedly offensive comments on homosexuality.”

The Daily Caller: “‘They made a cascading series of presumptions about the kind of a counselor she would be and have consequently … tried to force her to change her beliefs,’ [David French], the ADF attorney representing Keeton in the case, told The Daily Caller. ‘It’s symbolic of an educational system that has lost its way.’”

LezGetReal (“a gay girl’s view on the world): “According to the Alliance Defense Fund’s David French ‘A public university student shouldn’t be threatened with expulsion for being a Christian and refusing to publicly renounce her faith, but that’s exactly what’s happening here. Abandoning one’s own religious beliefs should not be a precondition at a public university for obtaining a degree.’”

Queerty: “The school thought not, and told Keeton to enroll in a remediation program (and go to gay pride!) designed to foster … let’s say … more reasonable and open-minded beliefs about LGBTs. Keeton doesn’t think she needs to change what the Bible tells her, and has filed suit against the university. Naturally, the Alliance Defense Fund is involved; it calls the university’s actions forced ‘thought reform.’”

IndyPosted: “The ADF has filed both a complaint and a motion for a preliminary injunction in the case with the U.S. District Court for the District of Georgia. Additionally, the ADF is defending a counselor at the Center For Disease Control as well as cases of similar religious discrimination at Eastern Michigan University. It has also successfully resolved a case at Missouri State University.” | ADF News Release

The Augusta Chronicle: “A student who is suing Augusta State University says she considers gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender lifestyles as ‘identity confusion,’ and shared those views in class discussions and written assignments. … [Keeton] claims Mary Jane Anderson-Wiley, an ASU associate professor, requested that Keeton take part in a remediation plan because of her beliefs about gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender issues. … The Alliance Defense Fund, a legal alliance that supports religious freedom, filed the suit for Keeton in U.S. District Court in Augusta on Wednesday. The agency has declined to allow Keeton to be interviewed, but she has responded to submitted e-mail questions.” | ADF News Release

The Augusta Chronicle: “The [remediation] plan — according to her attorney, [David French] of the Alliance Defense Fund Center — included ‘diversity sensitivity training’ and a requirement ‘that she “increase exposure and interaction with gay populations,” including a suggestion that she attend the “Gay Pride Parade in Augusta.”‘” | ADF News Release

WRDW: “‘The school counseling faculty has decided that my views are not acceptable for me or to share with other students,’ [Keeton] says in a video statement produced by the Alliance Defense Fund. ‘They have required a remediation plan in which the end result would be me altering my beliefs or being dismissed from the program.’” | ADF News Release

NBC Augusta: “Attorney [David French] with the Alliance Defense Fund is representing grad student Jennifer Keeton. He says the class curriculum is unconstitutional. ‘Any guidelines imposed by a public university must comply with the constitution and the guidelines they’re imposing on her do not comply with the constitution,’ French said.” | ADF News Release

ADF attorney David French appeared in several media outlets to discuss this: Augusta State Univ. to counseling student: change your beliefs or get out. | Frank Pastore Show - MP3 26:04 mins | AFR Focal Point with Bryan Fischer – MP3 24:02 mins | Video NBC 26 – MP4 2:36 mins

NBC 26 carried this report on the situation. | Related ADF media: Augusta State Univ. to counseling student: change your beliefs or get out

WJBF-TV: “An Augusta State University student says her religious beliefs about homosexuality are being questioned as she tries to get a degree in counseling. A legal group is defending her and filed a complaint on the student’s behalf. … Students at ASU had mixed reactions. Some students say it’ll be hard for the student to be a counselor with such strong views. While other students criticize the university for trying to get Keeton to change her views but others say if she’s going to counsel young students, she needs to keep an open mind.” | Video at link

Atlanta Journal Constitution: “Keeton is represented by the Alliance Defense Fund, a coalition of Christian attorneys. The suit accuses Augusta State officials of violating Keeton’s First Amendment rights to free speech and the free exercise of religion. ‘A public university student shouldn’t be threatened with expulsion for being a Christian and refusing to publicly renounce her faith, but that’s exactly what’s happening here,’ [David French], senior counsel for the defense fund, said in a news release.”

ADF Attorney Jordan Lorence appeared on the Georgene Rice Show to discuss: Augusta State Univ. to counseling student: change your beliefs or get out | MP3 11:13 mins.

ADF Attorney David French appeared on WAFL with John Bryant and Cleve Walker to discuss this: Augusta State Univ. to counseling student: change your beliefs or get out | MP3 12:29 mins.

CitizenLink: “What was her crime? ‘Jen has voiced disagreement in several class discussions and in written assignments with the gay and lesbian “lifestyle.” She stated in one paper that she believes GLBTQ “lifestyles” to be identity confusion,’ according to the university’s ‘Remediation Plan’ for Jennifer, which is documented in an Alliance Defense Fund legal complaint.”

Religion Clause: “A graduate student in the counseling program at Augusta State University in Georgia filed a civil rights lawsuit Wednesday alleging that her free speech, free exercise, equal protection and due process rights were infringed by conditions imposed on her in order for her to remain in the University’s program. … Alliance Defense Fund issued a press release announcing the filing of the case.”

The Christian Institute: “A Christian student in the US has been told she will not be permitted to graduate unless she changes her beliefs. … ‘Jennifer Keeton has not been accused of mistreating a client,’ pointed out ADF Senior Counsel [David French].”

WorldNetDaily: “School officials Mary Jane Anderson-Wiley, Paulette Schenck and Richard Deaner demanded student Jen Keeton, 24, go through a ‘remediation’ program after she asserted homosexuality is a behavioral choice, not a ‘state of being’ as a professor said, according to the complaint. … ADF Senior Counsel [David French] contended a public university student ‘shouldn’t be threatened with expulsion for being a Christian and refusing to publicly renounce her faith, but that’s exactly what’s happening here.’” | ADF News Release

The Christian Post: “An Augusta State University student filed suit Wednesday after she was told to change her Christian beliefs or otherwise be expelled from the school’s graduate counseling program. ‘A public university student shouldn’t be threatened with expulsion for being a Christian and refusing to publicly renounce her faith, but that’s exactly what’s happening here,’ said David French, senior counsel with the Alliance Defense Fund. ‘Simply put, the university is imposing thought reform.’”

The Chronicle of Higher Education: “In a lawsuit filed on Wednesday . . . Jennifer Keeton argues that faculty members and administrators at the university have violated her First Amendment rights to free speech and the free exercise of religion by threatening with her expulsion if she does not fufill requirements contained in a remediation plan intended to get her to change her beliefs. … David French, senior counsel for the Alliance Defense Fund, said: ‘A public-university student shouldn’t be threatened with expulsion for being Christian and refusing to publicly renounce her faith, but that’s exactly what’s happening here. Simply put, the university is imposing thought reform.’”

OneNewsNow: “‘It’s in essence [telling her] “you do not have the correct beliefs, we are going to re-educate you into the correct beliefs,”‘ explains [David French], senior counsel with the Alliance Defense Fund. ‘And unless she completes this — quote — “remediation plan” to their satisfaction, then she can be thrown out of [the school's counseling program].’” | ADF News Release

ADF Attorney David French writing at Speak Up Movement / University: “Today, the Alliance Defense Fund Center for Academic Freedom filed a lawsuit against officials at Augusta State University on behalf of counseling student Jennifer Keeton. … You can read Jennifer’s Complaint and her Preliminary Injunction Motion to learn more. Or, you can watch her tell her story.” | Post includes video. | ADF News Release

ADF Attorney David French writing at Phi Beta Cons: “Late yesterday afternoon, the Alliance Defense Fund Center for Academic Freedom filed a lawsuit on behalf of Augusta State University counseling student Jennifer Keeton. Her tale has to be read to be believed. Essentially, the facts are as follows. Jennifer is a devout Christian and holds biblically orthodox views regarding sexual morality. In the context of classroom discussions of homosexual behavior, she expressed her Christian views, and has also shared those views with her classmates outside of class. … To alter Jennifer’s views, the faculty imposed a ‘remediation plan,’ that included ‘diversity sensitivity training,’ required Jennifer to read at least ten articles in peer-reviewed journals that “pertain to improving counseling effectiveness with GLBTQ populations,” and (my personal favorite) required that she ‘increase exposure and interaction with gay populations,’ including a suggestion that she attend the ‘Gay Pride Parade in Augusta.’”

“The student, Jennifer Keeton, has been told to stop sharing her beliefs with others and that she must change her beliefs in order to graduate from the counseling program.”