Thread by @DBlombergSC

#BREAKING: The Eighth Circuit UNANIMOUSLY ruled that @UIowa officials can be held accountable after violating the #FirstAmendment and kicking Christian, Muslim, and Sikh student groups off campus simply because the groups asked their leaders to agree with their faith.

But while religious groups were targeted, other groups were given a pass. Greek groups excluded leaders on the basis of sex. Political groups ensured their leaders shared their political beliefs. Only religious groups were barred for screening leaders for mission alignment.

And that targeting particularly makes zero sense in the context of a group’s leadership. Religious groups need religious leaders.

Further, religious nondiscrimination policies are meant to ensure religious groups are protected, not punished for their religious beliefs. But the school officials picked what groups they liked and what groups had to go.

The Eighth Circuit said “What the University did here was clearly unconstitutional” and “turned a blind eye to decades of First Amendment jurisprudence”

The Court was “hard-pressed to find a clearer example of viewpoint discrimination”—and the University seemed to know it:

Today’s win is the most recent in a trio of victories denying qualified immunity to public university officials who have discriminated against religious student groups, making it clear that they can be held personally accountable for violating constitutional freedoms.

The Eight Circuit order can be found here: becketnewsite.s3.amazonaws.com/2021-07-16_IVC…

And @BECKETlaw's press release found here: becketlaw.org/media/three-fo…