VSU is a public university of approximately 5,000 students located near Richmond. It is also a historically black university that dates to 1882.
Alliance Defending Freedom attorneys filed the lawsuit last week on behalf of two campus ministries, Women of Victory and Bethel Campus Fellowship.
The two student groups allege the new school year began with both student-led groups being dropped as Registered Student Organizations, or an RSO, on campus. They are now under the direct supervision of VSU’s Campus Ministries office and its leader, Rev. Thomas Wynn.
According to ADF, Wynn’s supervisory role means he has control of their meeting schedules, events, and any religious activities on the VSU campus.
ADF also alleges the new policy only includes student-led Christian ministries, and the Muslim Students Association is exempted.
Mercer Martin, legal counsel at ADF, told American Family News both Christian student groups are demanding the right to operate without direct oversight from a university official.
"This is a clear violation of the First Amendment,” Martin alleges.
Martin and ADF also allege the new policy violates the Establishment Clause in the U.S. Constitution, and the Free Exercise Clause, because VSU has created government control of a Christian student group but is also exempting a non-Christian group.
The Christian students have told ADF attorneys they confronted Rev. Wynn about the new policy, and he reportedly were told them it's “because you purport Jesus Christ and faith.”
AFN is seeking comment from Virginia State University for this story.
The lawsuit is Women of Victory at Virginia State University v. Branch. It was filed in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia
