Discriminatory Funding Policies
Student Story
The University of Rhode Island student senate maintained policies that allowed senators to deny funding to organizations they perceived as having a religious mission.
Religious Liberty
What We Defend
Religious liberty is the right to follow the faith of your choice — or to follow no faith at all.
Religious liberty is a cornerstone of our nation and is the very first freedom guaranteed to Americans by the Bill of Rights. Yet, on many college and university campuses, the right to associate on the basis of religious belief and even the right to express religious beliefs is under attack. Under the guise of “nondiscrimination” policies, religious groups are often told that they may not choose the membership or leadership of their groups using religious criteria. Other students who merely express religious beliefs in public are condemned and even punished for “hate speech” or “intolerance.”
FIRE’s cases dealing with religious liberty display our commitment to defending America’s religious pluralism by protecting students’ right to express their views and to associate around shared beliefs.
Religious liberty in the United States: An inalienable right
FIRE’s Guide to Religious Liberty
For a more thorough analysis, consult FIRE’s Guide to Religious Liberty on Campus to learn more about how legal and moral arguments for religious liberty apply differently on public and private campuses.
Have your religious liberty rights been violated?
If you face retaliation for your religious beliefs, get in touch to learn how we can come to your defense.
The student government’s nonprofit status does not prevent it from funding political or religious groups.
Defending Your Rights
FIRE defends the rights of students and faculty through several core services.
Campus Rights Advocacy
Helping You
FIRE’s core defense program provides free assistance to individual students, professors, student media, and campus groups whose fundamental civil liberties are violated.
Reforming College Policies
Changing Higher Ed
FIRE’s college Policy Reform team works to proactively and systematically challenge campus policies that violate students’ and faculty members’ free speech and due process rights.
Legal Support
In the Courts
Facing a university investigation? Have officials refused to share evidence or follow fair procedures? FIRE’s lawyers may be able to help.
Legislative Policy Reform
Changing Laws
FIRE advocates for individual rights at both the state and federal level by advocating on behalf of rights-protective legislation and against proposed laws that threaten student and faculty due process rights.
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