Brown University: Wrongful Suspension of Religious Student Group

Brown University inexplicably suspended one of its largest religious student organizations, with shifting and unclear reasons for its decision. Brown ignored requests from Trinity Presbyterian Church's campus fellowship for an explanation of its suspension and the student group finally sought help from FIRE. Brown University finally lifted its semester-long suspension of the Reformed University Fellowship (RUF) student group after months of public pressure from FIRE.

Case Materials

• "Victory for Religious Liberty at Brown University: RUF Reinstated," February 1, 2007: Brown University has finally lifted its semester-long suspension of the Reformed University Fellowship (RUF) student group. As of last week, the RUF has been restored to its previous status as a recognized student group and held its first on-campus meeting of the school year on Sunday. Brown’s decision to reinstate the group came after months of public pressure from FIRE.
• "Religious Life Affiliate Application Form, Submitted November 30, 2006," November 30, 2006
• "RUF Letter to OCRL Director Janet Cooper Nelson, November 28, 2006," November 28, 2006
• "Brown University Letter to RUF President Ethan Wingfield, November 20, 2006," November 20, 2006
• "Christian Union Letter to Brown University Regarding Suspension of RUF, November 17, 2006," November 17, 2006
• "Brown Suspends Religious Student Group Without Explanation," November 16, 2006: Brown University has inexplicably suspended one of its largest religious student organizations. After offering shifting and unclear reasons for its decision, Brown ignored requests from Trinity Presbyterian Church’s campus fellowship for an explanation of its suspension. The student group finally sought help from FIRE, which has asked Brown to either explain or revoke its suspension.
• "Brown University Response to FIRE Letter, November 10, 2006," November 10, 2006
• "FIRE Letter to Brown University President Ruth J. Simmons, October 27, 2006," October 27, 2006
• "Group Letter to OCRL Director Janet Cooper Nelson, September 28, 2006," September 28, 2006
• "E-mail from Associate Protestant Chaplain Allen Callahan to OCRL Director Janet Cooper Nelson, September 13, 2006," September 13, 2006
• "E-mail from Trinity Presbyterian Church Senior Pastor David Sherwood to OCRL Director Janet Cooper Nelson, September 13, 2006," September 13, 2006
• "E-mail from OCRL Director Janet Cooper Nelson to Group President Ethan Wingfield, September 13, 2006," September 13, 2006

Blog Entries

• "Brown University Takes Step Toward Lifting Suspension, But Problems Remain," by Tara Sweeney, November 21, 2006: Brown University has taken its first step toward lifting its suspension of the Reformed University Fellowship (RUF). Brown suspended the RUF in early September for reasons that remain unclear. Following FIRE’s November 16 press release, the Christian Union sent a letter to Brown, The Providence Journal reported on the suspension, and FIRE President Greg Lukianoff spoke about the case on The O’Reilly Factor. Yesterday, Brown sent RUF President Ethan Wingfield a letter outlining how the group could apply for re-affiliation for the spring semester. The steps that Brown prescribes, however, remain unfair and vague, as they appear to require that the RUF have frequent meetings with Brown’s Office of the Chaplains and Religious Life and that it communicate with “full transparency”—which RUF already believed it was doing—with that office. Brown also apparently plans to keep the suspension in place throughout the fall semester. FIRE will continue to protest Brown’s actions until the university offers RUF the same rights that it offers other student organizations.

Media Coverage

• "The case of Brown University: A culture of 'contempt and dishonesty',"
  by Richard A. Zeller, The Providence Journal, November 27, 2006
• "Christian conservatives at odds with liberal R.I. university,"
  Associated Press, November 23, 2006
• "Brown bans evangelical organization of students,"
  by Richard C. Dujardin, The Providence Journal, November 20, 2006
• "Our universities threaten our religion, our culture, and our national security (exhibit A: Brown),"
  by Luke Sheahan, Family Security Matters, November 20, 2006
• "Reasons for Christian group's suspension unclear, leader says,"
  by Mary-Catherine Lader, The Brown Daily Herald, November 20, 2006
• "Christians kicked off campus at Brown University,"
  World Net Daily, November 18, 2006