University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill: Refusal to Allow Christian Clubs to Require Christian Leadership

An administrator at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill threatened the InterVarsity Christian Fellowship (IVCF) with a loss of all privileges and funding because it required its leaders to adhere to the IVCF's Christian doctrine. After FIRE reminded UNC of the student organization's rights of religious liberty, free expression, and free association, however, Chancellor James Moeser ordered "that IVCF be allowed to continue to operate as an official recognized student organization."

Case Materials

• "CLS letter to UNC Chapel Hill Chancellor Holden Thorp, August 13, 2010," August 13, 2010
• "Professor Mike Adams on Religious Discrimination in Higher Education," Townhall, July 27, 2003: In a recent column, Mike Adams, professor of sociology at the University of North Carolina-Wilmington, raises serious questions about religious liberty, legal equality, and free association at the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill (UNC). A FIRE ally and a strong defender of liberty in higher education, Adams argues that UNC employs a double standard against religious students, denying them the right to associate on terms of their own lawful choosing.
• "Victory for Religious Liberty at UNC," January 2, 2003: On December 30, 2002, FIRE drew widespread public attention to the revocation of a Christian student group's constitutional and moral rights at the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill (UNC). The next day, UNC folded its hand. An administrator had threatened the InterVarsity christian Fellowship (IVCF) with a loss of all privileges and funding because it required its leaders to adhere to the IVCF's Christian doctrine. On December 31, 2002, Chancellor James Moeser ordered "that IVCF be allowed to continue to operate as an official recognized student organization"—restoring, for now, the rights of religious liberty, free expression, and free association to the IVCF at this public institution.
• "Moeser issues statement about IVCF," UNC Press Release, December 31, 2002
• "InterVarsity Multi-Ethnic Christian Fellowship Banned at Rutgers University; InterVarsity Christian Fellowship Threatened with Similar Punishment at UNC," December 30, 2002: Rutgers University and UNC-Chapel Hill have both denied Christian student groups the right to take into account religious beliefs when selecting religious leaders. A lawsuit was filed against Rutgers today by FIRE Legal Network attorney David A. French. The most fundamental constitutional and moral rights—freedom of speech, freedom of religion, freedom of association, and due process—are all at stake at these state institutions.
• "FIRE Letter to UNC Chancellor James Moeser, December 27, 2002," December 27, 2002
• "Letter from UNC Division of Student Afffairs Threatening ‘Derecogniton’ of InterVarsity Christian Fellowship, December 10, 2002," December 10, 2002

Media Coverage

• "UNC-Chapel Hill Tries to Spin Away a Major Defeat,"
  by Greg Lukianoff and Samantha Harris, Daily Journal, May 25, 2006
• "Ignorance of our founding principles can endanger us all,"
  by Katherine Kersten, Star Tribune (Minneapolis–St. Paul), March 5, 2006
• "Campus Left to Christians, Conservatives: Shut Up!,"
  by Mark Tapscott, Townhall.com, December 24, 2005
• "10 great cigars and why I smoked them,"
  by Mike Adams, Townhall.com, June 13, 2005
• "How to Contribute to a Left-Leaning University,"
  by Mike Adams, ChronWatch, October 29, 2003
• "Putting in Your Zero cents Worth,"
  by Mike Adams, Mensnewsdaily.com, October 28, 2003
• "The Campus Crusade Against Christ (revisited),"
  by Mike Adams, Townhall, June 5, 2003
• "InterVarsity decision causes controversy,"
  by Jessica Patchett, The Pendulum, January 23, 2003
• "Playing the Bias Card,"
  by John Leo, US News & World Report, January 13, 2003
• "Religious Cleansing On Campus,"
  by Michael Tremoglie, FrontPage Magazine, January 9, 2003
• "After Legal Threat, UNC Allows InterVarsity Ministry to Remain on Campus,"
  by Jim Brown, Agape Press, January 7, 2003
• "Campus Dodges Charter Lawsuit,"
  by Lizzie Stewart, The Daily Tar Heel, January 7, 2003
• "Sensible Solution to Latest Religious Flap at UNC-Chapel Hill Should be Sought,"
  The Asheville Citizen-Times, January 2, 2003
• "UNC Rules Christian Group Can Remain Official,"
  by Scott Vermillion, Sun News, January 2, 2003
• "UNC Allows InterVarsity to Remain Moeser: Fellowship's General Membership is Open to All,"
  by Beth Velliquette, Chapel Hill Herald, January 2, 2003
• "Moeser Upholds Christian Group's Status UNC-CH Club OK to Continue,"
  by Yonat Shimron and Jane Stancill, News & Observer, January 2, 2003
• "UNC Affirms Christian Group; Chapel Hill Chancellor Says Discrimination Dispute Can Be Resolved,"
  The Charlotte Observer, January 1, 2003
• "UNC-CH Says Christian Group Can Remain Official Organization,"
  The Associated Press State & Local Wire, December 31, 2002
• "UNC-CH Criticized for Letter to Christian Group,"
  by Jane Stancill, News & Observer, December 31, 2002
• "Colorado Student Judiciary System Abuses Its Power,"
  Rocky Mountain News, January 28, 2001