One week ago, Governor Bob McDonnell of Virginia signed into law the Student Group Protection Act, an important piece of legislation spearheaded by state senator Mark Obenshain. If the last name sounds familiar it's because he is the brother of Kate Obenshain, an author, blogger, speaker and regular guest on Fox News. The new law guarantees freedom of association for religious and ideological belief-based student organizations and protects the right of those campus groups to choose leaders who share those beliefs.
"FIRE commends Governor McDonnell, Senator Obenshain, and all of the Virginia Delegates and Senators who worked to pass the Act," said FIRE President Greg Lukianoff. "College campuses have long hosted religious and ideological student groups of all types so that students would have the opportunity to be part of a group that satisfies their faith, their passion, or their politics. Guaranteeing those groups the right to hold their leaders to belief-based standards is a vital part of ensuring that a pluralistic and diverse culture can exist on campus."
The law will prevent Virginia's public colleges and universities from adopting so-called "all-comers" policies that require student groups to accept all students as members and leaders, regardless of whether or not they agree with the group's mission, and even if they are only there to undermine or even destroy the group. Most infamously, an all-comers policy now enforced at Vanderbilt University (with exceptions for fraternities and sororities) led to the forced departure from campus of no fewer than 13 religious groups.
Regarding the law's passage, Senator Obenshain remarked, "By ensuring that organizations continue to be able to define themselves by their own particular views, goals, and affiliations, my legislation will ensure that a diversity of viewpoints will continue to have expression on campuses across Virginia."
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