{"id":111995,"date":"2022-08-15T00:03:38","date_gmt":"2022-08-15T04:03:38","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.thecollegefix.com\/?p=111995"},"modified":"2022-08-14T18:09:24","modified_gmt":"2022-08-14T22:09:24","slug":"methodist-university-sues-to-stop-probe-into-religious-beliefs-by-washington-ag","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.thecollegefix.com\/methodist-university-sues-to-stop-probe-into-religious-beliefs-by-washington-ag\/","title":{"rendered":"Washington university sues to stop probe into religious beliefs by state"},"content":{"rendered":"

Seattle Pacific University sued after attorney general began probing into religious beliefs<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

A Christian university in Washington is suing the state\u2019s attorney general over an investigation into the school’s hiring practices concerning individuals in homosexual relationships.<\/p>\n

Seattle Pacific University\u2019s ongoing federal lawsuit pushes back against Democratic Attorney General Bob Ferguson\u2019s request for documents and information on the Free Methodist university\u2019s religious beliefs.<\/p>\n

The university, in upholding its Christian beliefs, \u201cexpects its faculty, staff and leadership to agree with the University\u2019s statement of faith and to live out that faith as a model for others, including by living according to the University\u2019s religious teachings on marriage,\u201d the federal lawsuit<\/a> stated.<\/p>\n

Further, \u201cthe probe is not limited to a single dispute or employee, but seeks to regulate and surveil a religious school\u2019s relationships with all its employees and leaders.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThe attorney general has taken the position that policies like Seattle Pacific\u2019s, which ask leaders to follow a religious organization\u2019s teachings, are unlawful and unwelcome in Washington,\u201d the lawsuit alleged.<\/p>\n

The lawsuit accused Ferguson (pictured<\/em>) of violating the First Amendment rights of SPU.<\/p>\n

\u201cDespite the Constitution\u2019s clear prohibition on interference in matters of church governance, including entangling investigations of religious employment decisions and the selection of ministers, Washington\u2019s attorney general has launched a probe that does just that,\u201d attorneys argued.<\/p>\n

MORE<\/strong>: Federal judge blocks Biden admin’s pro-transgender mandates<\/a><\/p>\n

There is no particular person alleging a violation of his or her rights, the lawsuit argued.<\/p>\n

In a statement<\/a> on its website, the university stressed the importance of its religious mission and its 130-year old relationship with the Free Methodist Church. In its lawsuit, the university also says if it was required to hire individuals in same-sex marriages, it would be disaffiliated with the Free Methodist Church.<\/p>\n

The state’s top law enforcement officer defended the probe.<\/p>\n

“Seattle Pacific University admits that it refuses to hire gay faculty and staff. In May, Seattle Pacific University students and staff staged a sit-in and called for the removal of the University\u2019s board of trustees after they voted to keep in place school policies that prohibit employees from engaging in \u2018same-sex sexual activity,'” the attorney general\u2019s office wrote in a media statement<\/a>.<\/p>\n

“Numerous Seattle Pacific University students, faculty, and others reached out to my office to file complaints or otherwise express deep concern that the University administration\u2019s policies illegally violate Washingtonians\u2019 civil rights,” Ferguson stated.<\/p>\n

\u201cMy office did not prejudge whether Seattle Pacific University\u2019s employment policies or its actions are illegal. We responded to the complaints from concerned Washingtonians by sending the University a letter,\u201d he wrote.<\/p>\n

The Fix<\/em> asked for confirmation there were no current complaints against SPU.\u00a0The Fix<\/em> also asked if there was any precedent for investigating an organization without an active complaint against it.<\/p>\n

The Becket Fund for Religious Liberty, which represents SPU, did not respond to a media inquiry from\u00a0The Fix\u00a0<\/em>on August 8, nor did the other attorneys working on the case.<\/p>\n

The university included a timeline of events that led to the investigation, including a since settled case<\/a> from January 2021 from a faculty member who sued the school and claimed sexual orientation discrimination.<\/p>\n

In late May 2022, university students organized a sit-in<\/a> to protest the university\u2019s decision not to change its Statement on Human Sexuality, and instead reaffirm its traditional Christian sexual ethics.<\/p>\n

The attorney general announced the investigation on June 8 into the university.<\/p>\n

MORE<\/strong>: University of Idaho student punished for sharing religious beliefs about marriage<\/a><\/p>\n

IMAGE: Attorney General of Washington<\/p>\n

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