Colleges face legal challenges over religious and political student clubs

Two separate legal disputes regarding student organization recognition at American colleges have emerged, involving religious and political associations.

In New York, Campus Bible Fellowship has filed a lawsuit against SUNY Broome Community College. The ministry alleges that the college's refusal to recognize the group—due to a requirement that leaders maintain ‘a personal relationship with Jesus Christ’—prevents the organization from accessing campus space and financial resources. While the college maintains that this leadership requirement violates its nondiscrimination policies, the lawsuit, filed by Alliance Defending Freedom, argues that the policy violates First Amendment rights to free exercise of religion, speech, and assembly. This follows a similar recent lawsuit by InterVarsity against the same institution.

Separately, a Republican club at Whitman College is facing challenges after its recognition was denied by student government. While private institutions like Whitman are not directly bound by the First Amendment in the same manner as public universities, the Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression has intervened, suggesting the college may be bound by its own contractual promises regarding free speech and association.