MOSCOW, Idaho (LifeSiteNews) – A federal judge ordered the University of Idaho to revoke its no-contact orders placed on three Christian law students while a lawsuit continues, ruling that the students are likely to prevail in their lawsuit.
Judge David Nye ruled on June 30 against the public university and in favor of students Mark Miller, Ryan Alexander, and recent graduate Peter Perlot after the University of Idaho issued no-contact orders against the students over the religious content and viewpoint of their speech.
Alliance Defending Freedom (ADF) had filed a federal lawsuit against the university after it placed no-contact orders on the three as a result of several comments made in the spring semester about homosexuality and the Bible. When questioned by a female student, the students had defended the Christian Legal Society’s (CLS) constitution, which states that marriage is between one man and one woman.
Perlot then left a handwritten note for the student saying he would be “happy to discuss this further so that they could both be fully heard and better understand one another’s views.” A few days later the student was joined by others to publicly denounce the CLS at a panel with the American Bar Association.
According to ADF, “the university’s Office of Civil Rights and Investigations issued Perlot, Miller, and Alexander no-contact orders against the student even though the CLS members did not receive notice that anyone had complained about them and were not given an opportunity to review the allegations against them or defend themselves.”
ADF stated that when the university issued the no-contact orders, the CLS members were not told about any complaints against them, nor were they given an opportunity to review the allegations or defend themselves.
“Peter, Mark, and Ryan are guaranteed the freedom under the First Amendment to discuss their faith on campus, just like every other student and faculty member,” ADF Legal Counsel Mathew Hoffmann stated in the July 1 news release, announcing the update on the case.
“Yet the university has unlawfully punished these three students just because it disagrees with their viewpoints. That’s simply not constitutional,” he stated. “We’re pleased they are again free to exercise their constitutionally protected freedoms without fear of punishment, and we look forward to a final resolution of this case in their favor and, ultimately, in favor of free speech for everyone.”
“Today’s university students will be tomorrow’s leaders, judges, and voters, so it’s imperative that university officials model the First Amendment freedoms they are supposed to be teaching their students,” ADF Senior Counsel Tyson Langhofer added. “The University of Idaho must stop discriminating against students’ religious beliefs and allow students of all ideological perspectives to freely debate important issues of our day.”
“College campuses should be places where free speech is vibrant and the First Amendment is esteemed,” CLS Executive Director and CEO David Nammo stated as well. “CLS is grateful the court acknowledged this today and stood up against a cancel culture threatened by a marketplace of differing ideas.”
Since the filing of the original lawsuit, the University of Idaho also placed a “limited contact” order on Professor Richard Seamon. He is the faculty advisor to the CLS chapter and made comments similar to the other three students in support of Biblical marriage.
The Christian students had faced problems before in getting approved as an official club. The law school dean had to intervene on their behalf.