Virginia State University sued over Christian student group policy

Two Christian student organizations, Women of Victory and Bethel Campus Fellowship, have filed a civil rights lawsuit against Virginia State University in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia. The plaintiffs allege that a new campus ministry policy adopted in August discriminates against Christian groups by stripping them of their status as registered student organizations (RSOs).

According to the lawsuit, the policy places Christian groups under the oversight of a taxpayer-funded Campus Ministries department led by Campus Minister Thomas Wynn. This arrangement reportedly requires university approval for activities such as Bible studies, prayer gatherings, and guest speakers, while exempting Muslim, secular, and other non-Christian organizations from similar restrictions.

The legal challenge, represented by attorneys from Alliance Defending Freedom, asserts that the university violates the First Amendment and the 14th Amendment's equal protection clause. The plaintiffs claim the policy prevents them from affiliating with their national organizations and denies them the benefits provided to other RSOs, such as event planning assistance, facility access, and participation in university festivals.