Turlock councilman stands up for Christian student group not recognized by university

A city councilman has taken the cause of a Christian student group that he says was wrongfully removed by California State University, Stanislaus, because the group refused to comply with policy that conflicts with its beliefs.

Councilman Matthew Jacob sent out a news release late Thursday, asking the university to reverse its decision and reinstate Stanislaus Christian Fellowship. The local student group is part of the Chi Alpha campus ministries organization, which has more than 300 student group chapters at campuses internationally.

The membership of Chi Alpha’s Stanislaus chapter is open to any student, but it requires that its leaders, who lead worship services and Bible studies, affirm the group’s Christian beliefs. The councilman said compliance with university policy would potentially pave the way for non-Christians to take on leadership roles in a fundamentally Christian student organization.

“In the university’s attempt to enforce nondiscriminatory policies, they themselves are discriminating against the religious creeds of this particular student organization,” Jacob said in the news release.

University officials say the student group has not been barred from campus. Stanislaus Christian Fellowship still can conduct activities on campus but no longer is recognized by the university, said Tim Lynch, the school’s vice president for communications and public affairs.

Without university recognition, the group can’t benefit from student club support services such as reserving a campus room for meetings, using a campus club mailbox or receiving accounting services from the Student Leadership and Development Office.

Lynch said the university is willing to reinstate the group’s status as long as Stanislaus Christian Fellowship rewrites the portion of its constitution that is not compliant with state law, which prevents discrimination against students wanting to join a campus club.

“If they wanted to do that today, we would be delighted,” Lynch said Friday.

Bianca Travis, who is identified as the Stanislaus Christian Fellowship president, did not return a phone call seeking comment for this report. Chi Alpha officials say the local student group has more than 45 members. The city councilman said students in the group have been advised not to speak to the media because of pending litigation.

Campus officials would not comment on the Turlock councilman’s public statement “because our focus is on the student groups and student life.”

Jacob said there are some clear benefits university-recognized groups receive, and the Christian group had to cancel 15 events because of the university’s action. He said an executive order issued by the CSU Chancellor’s Office requires each campus club to adopt a nondiscrimination policy in its leadership selection process.

The councilman said the local student group believes it would be illogical to have leaders teaching and mentoring other club members about a faith that they themselves do not practice. Jacob said it would infringe on the student group’s religious freedoms to adopt this university policy.

University officials say CSU policy since the 1960s has consistently prohibited discrimination based on gender, race or religion, or other characteristics. The policy has been revised over the years to comply with state law, including in 2012 when CSU policy prohibited discrimination on any basis.

In 2013, the CSU granted a one-year moratorium to give student groups time to get their constitutions and bylaws into compliance. Those that chose not to comply would not be recognized by the university.

The university’s policy is based on this state law, which has been challenged and upheld in the courts, said Mike Uhlenkamp, a spokesman for the Chancellor’s Office.

Only traditional fraternities and sororities are exempt from the gender aspect of the policy, because these students are typically housed together.

The executive order issued by the Chancellor’s Office was implemented in December 2011 and designed to expand the state’s nondiscrimination policy to all groups on CSU campuses, Uhlenkamp said. For instance, a campus journalism club can’t stop students from joining simply because the potential members are not journalism students.

At the 23 CSU campuses, each club has to submit a constitution each fall to be reviewed by campus officials. The document lists the club’s mission statement and how it operates. If portions of the constitution are not compliant with university policy, campus officials will work with the club to rewrite the document to ensure it is in compliance, Uhlenkamp said.

Stanislaus State officials said dozens of campus clubs submitted constitutions this fall, including two other faith-based groups, Catholic Student Association and OneLife. Lynch said only Stanislaus Christian Fellowship failed to be in compliance with CSU policy.

He said the university services that student clubs receive are funded by taxpayer dollars and student fees. “It would be discriminatory for any student paying fees to be prevented from joining a group the student helps fund,” he said.

Jacob called the university’s action an “injustice.” He said he approached university officials, hoping to help the students work out a resolution with the campus. But he said he felt like he was getting the runaround from university officials.

“I am hopeful (my news release) may get the attention of university administration for a resolution,” Jacob told The Modesto Bee on Friday.

The city councilman made it clear in the release that his statement does not necessarily represent the opinion or position of the city or any other council members.

E. Scott Martin is the national director for Chi Alpha, a college outreach ministry of the General Council of the Assemblies of God. Martin wrote a letter to Stanislaus State President Joseph Sheley, speaking about the diverse group of students that make up its local chapter.

“And the key to our unity in diversity, what draws our different Chi Alpha communities together, is a deep, authentic love for Jesus and a desire to show his love to fellow students,” Martin wrote. “That is, what makes each student chapter not just overlook, but rejoice in, our differences is our shared faith.”

He said the Stanislaus group has raised money annually for financial aid, education, school supplies and clothing for children in India and the Philippines who’ve been rescued from human trafficking. He said the group also has welcomed international students, helped other students move into on-campus dorms and helped campus police during graduation ceremonies.

“I am sure you agree with me that CSU, Stanislaus, should not discriminate against Chi Alpha or treat students like Bianca Travis as second-class citizens simply for their expression of religious dissent,” Scott wrote in his Feb. 6 letter to the campus president. “If anything, CSU, Stanislaus, should be encouraging active, community-serving student groups like Chi Alpha, not excluding them.”

This story was originally published March 20, 2015 at 5:04 PM with the headline "Turlock councilman stands up for Christian student group not recognized by university."