In early February, Judge Stephanie Rose from the Southern District Court of Iowa issued a partial ruling in the legal battle between Business Leaders in Christ (BLinC) and the University of Iowa (UI). The case dates back to 2017, when the University revoked BLinC’s status as a registered student organization (RSO) for denying a leadership position to an openly gay student who refused to reject homosexuality. The University of Iowa crest (Wikipedia). Membership in BLinC is technically open to all UI students. However, as a way to preserve its religious mission, the group asks its leaders to affirm that they believe in the group’s religious beliefs, which includes a rejection of homosexuality. In response to the fall out from BLinC’s exclusive membership policy, UI officials issued a statement claiming that the institution “does not tolerate discrimination of any kind in accordance with federal and state law.” They charged BLinC for violating the school’s Human Rights Policy and the Iowa Civil Rights Act by “discriminating against a student on the basis of sexual orientation.” When the group refused to revise its Statement of Faith and submit a more inclusive policy, it was kicked off campus. Losing its RSO designation has serious implications for BLinC’s activity on campus. The group can no longer reserve campus meeting space, participate in student recruitment fairs, apply for funding, or use university-side communication services. Daniel Blomberg, an attorney from the Becket Fund for Religious Liberty which is representing BLinC in court, highlighted the sensitivity of the case by explaining how it “goes to the heart” of First Amendment rights. Mandating that BLinC rewrite its policies is a violation of free expression because it asks the organization’s leaders to change the content of their beliefs. Further, Blomberg argues that UI’s application of its Human Rights Policy is selective because other groups that restrict membership and leadership positions based on gender, such as fraternities and sororities, are not subject to the same treatment. All of this was taken into consideration by Judge Rose in her ruling of BLinC v. University of Iowa. Her decision charged the University for operating outside of its rights by deregistering BLinC. Judge Rose further criticized UI officials for enforcing the Human Rights Policy, which “promotes valuable goals for both the University and society at large,” without showing how sidelining the religious student group was “necessary to serve a compelling state interest.” Vice president and senior counsel at the Becket Fund, Eric Baxter, lauded the federal court ruling as “a win for basic fairness” and an “eloquent plea for civility in how governments treat Americans in all their diversity.” Even though its legal battle with BLinC has come to an end, the University of Iowa remains steeped in related controversies over its discriminatory treatment of other religious student groups. The Chinese Student Fellowship, the Imam Mahdi Muslim organization, the Latter-day Saint Student Association, and the Sikh Awareness Club were also deregistered by the University. They are also facing a parallel lawsuit by the InterVarsity Christian Fellowship, which was kicked off campus in August for reasons similar to the BLinC controversy. This case is pending before Judge Rose, who will likely issue a ruling later this year. These UI acrimonies highlight the continued relevance and heightened awareness of First Amendment rights on campus.