Saturday, March 16, 2013

Ohio College Nixed Christian Speech, Now Pays $$

In June 2012, students at Sinclair Community College in Dayton, OH held a rally to protest ObamaCare's mandate against religious liberty, but the campus police forbid students to carry signs and speak in public after a homosexualist complained.  This week the students declared victory because their federal lawsuit has resulted in the college abandoning its restrictive "speech code" and paying the cost of the proceedings.

For background, read myriad examples of the anti-christian trend of "higher education" America against both groups of students, as well as individuals.

And read Calif. Yuba College Pays $25,000 Settlement & Agrees to Allow Christian Free Speech Two Hours Each Week

UPDATE 9/2/13: Christian Free Speech Censored at Columbus (Ohio) State Community College

Also read the latest news of the ObamaCare War against Christians.

-- From "Anti-abortion activists sue Sinclair Community College" by Meagan Pant, Staff Writer, Dayton Daily News 7/7/12

The lawsuit stems from the on-campus rally, “Stand Up for Religious Freedom,” held by the Sinclair Traditional Values Club, where, participants claim, campus police made them lower their protest signs and take down a large banner, according to court documents filed Friday in U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Ohio in Dayton.

[Ruth] Deddens, an original club member and noted antiabortion activist, attends Sinclair through the Lifetime Learning program. Her fellow student, Ethel Borel-Donohue, is a founder of the club and is enrolled in the paralegal program part-time after working as a high school teacher and raising three children. The suit is also brought by a third person, Bryan Kemper of Troy, who spoke at the rally but is not a student.

Kemper is the founder of two faith-based organizations, Rock of Life and Stand True Pro-Life Outreach. He is a self-described former punk rocker and drug addict who got clean and founded the anti-abortion groups.

To read the entire article above, CLICK HERE.

From "Pro-Lifers Silenced by Police at Rally Win Free Speech Lawsuit" by Steven Ertelt, LifeNews.com 3/12/13

Now, Sinclair Community College agreed to settle a federal lawsuit brought by the Thomas More Society and Ohio attorneys Curt C. Hartman, Christopher P. Finney, and Bradley M. Gibson, in response to what happened.

The case was filed last summer in U.S. District Court, on the heels of a “Stand Up for Religious Freedom” rally opposing the U.S. Health and Human Services conscience-oppressing abortifacient-sterilization mandate. The rally had been organized and sponsored by members of the student body of the Dayton-based school.

As a result of the lawsuit, SCC has adopted a new policy recognizing and allowing for the exercise of broader First Amendment Rights of students and groups hosting expressive activities on campus. The college also agreed to pay $9,000 to cover the plaintiffs’ costs and attorneys’ fees.

To read the entire article above, CLICK HERE.

From "College concedes 1st Amendment valid on campus" by Dave Tombers, World Net Daily 3/15/13

[Peter Breen, executive director and legal counsel of the Thomas More Society] said, “The police – as is all too common – were the sole folks within hearing or sight of the pro-life messages displayed on the ‘offensive’ signs who sought to enforce their own ‘hecklers’ veto.’

“As the rally was starting, the campus police informed us that all the signs and banners people were holding must be put on the ground after a complaint from a homosexual advocacy group leader,” Kemper told WND. “The police walked around the crowd telling people to put their signs down, that they could not hold them in their hands.”

Research into Sinclair Community College reveals the incident wasn’t the first time campus police have demanded protest signs be put down.

The campus newspaper addressed the unwritten sign policy in a March 2012 article, referring to a meeting in February held by the Traditional Values club that featured a guest speaking about former homosexuals.

To read the entire article above, CLICK HERE.

For background on that, read 'Gay Rights' Winning, Loss of Religious Liberty Documented - Washington Post writer demonstrates it's a "zero sum" game: Winning homosexual 'rights' means Christians must lose freedom of religion.

Also read President Obama Redefines 1st Amendment Freedom of Religion and yet President Obama Denies Leading War Against Christianity, and also read Religious Liberty & Anti-Christian Totalitarianism