A conservative student group sued a public college in Texas this week to try to regain official status on campus, saying the school was punishing students for their views on abortion.
Young Conservatives of Texas (YCT) said it had registered as an official group at Lone Star College’s Cy-Fair campus in Houston and secured a faculty sponsor last year, then hosted and videotaped a debate between pro-life and pro-choice advocates titled “Is it Moral to Have an Abortion?”
But the faculty adviser stepped down after the debate video was posted online. YCT says the adviser told them the group’s views were inconsistent with the college’s position.
Without a sponsor, YCT had its registered group status revoked and is now unable to use meeting rooms on campus.
“[YCT] must fund the speech of groups that support liberal viewpoints but are denied access to this same funding to share their own opposing message,” the students said in their lawsuit, filed in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Texas.
The college, which has six campuses in the state of Texas, did not immediately respond to a request for comment about the lawsuit.
The debate featured Heather Busby, executive director of NARAL’s Pro-Choice Texas, and Eric Hernandez, a Christian pro-life advocate.
The students are asking the judge to rule Lone Star College’s policy violates the First Amendment.
“Since recognized clubs have access to campus benefits, such as access to facilities and funding, the college cannot hinge recognition on whether college staff agree with a group’s views,” said Caleb Dalton, an attorney for Alliance Defending Freedom, which is representing the student organization.
• Alex Swoyer can be reached at aswoyer@washingtontimes.com.
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