Here Comes the Judge: UNC Enjoined

Those familiar with FIRE’s work over the years will remember our nearly continuous battles with the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill over its policies on student organizations, particularly religious groups. UNC’s assault on the freedom of association of religious groups has stretched from December 2002 all the way to the present time. Today’s press release, however, indicates that UNC’s crusade against freedom of association is liable to grind to a halt soon. A federal judge in North Carolina last week issued a preliminary injunction that orders UNC to stop trying to force Alpha Iota Omega (AIO)—a Christian fraternity whose primary mission is to spread the word of Christ—to admit members who aren’t Christian. FIRE’s website has much more about this case as well as UNC’s earlier attempt to interfere with religious liberty and freedom of association. Hopefully, with this injunction, UNC will finally begin to wake up and understand that constitutional rights are for everyone—even religious students.