MAJOR VICTORY: Ohio Professor Wins Religious Freedom Suit Against an Ohio University
Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals Rules in Favor of Free Speech for Ohio Professor
CINCINNATI—In a major victory for free speech and religious freedom, the 6th Circuit Court of Appeals has ruled unanimously in favor of a Shawnee State University Professor who was being punished by the school for refusing to use a student’s “preferred pronouns.”
Shawnee State University officials penalized philosophy professor Nicholas Meriwether because he declined a male student’s demand to be referred to as a woman with feminine titles and pronouns (“Miss,” “she,” etc.). Although the philosophy professor offered to use any name the student requested, the university rejected that compromise, choosing instead to force the professor to speak and act contrary to his own Christian convictions and philosophical beliefs.
Alliance Defending Freedom, the world’s largest and most successful religious freedom law firm, represented Professor Meriwether’s in this case.
“If professors lacked free-speech protections when teaching, a university would wield alarming power to compel ideological conformity,” the three-judge panel wrote. “A university president could require a pacifist to declare that war is just, a civil rights icon to condemn the Freedom Riders, a believer to deny the existence of God, or a Soviet émigré to address his students as ‘comrades.’ That cannot be. If there is any fixed star in our constitutional constellation, it is that no official, high or petty, can prescribe such orthodoxy.”
This case sets an important standard for free speech and academic freedom in Ohio.
“Shawnee State, a university funded by Ohio taxpayers, not only violated the First Amendment, but violated the fundamental ideals of academic freedom. Universities should be a place of robust debate, yet Shawnee State decided to punish a state employee and professor for refusing to lie to a student,” said Aaron Baer, President of Center for Christian Virtue, an ally of Alliance Defending Freedom.
“Professor Meriwether and Alliance Defending Freedom have done a tremendous service to our country. They have demonstrated the impact we can have when we are not bullied into silence by the government or the woke mob.
“Christians across our country should take heart and be encouraged to stand up for what we know is true, and not be pressured into silence.”
TAKE ACTION
Join Center for Christian Virtue in celebrating this monumental victory by making a donation today to Alliance Defending Freedom!
ADF came in to fight against unconstitutional actions in the 17th State in the union (Ohio!). Please consider making a $17 donation (or more!) to ADF to thank them for boldly standing for religious freedom, free speech, and academic liberty.
For more information, contact CCV at 513-733-5775 or info@ccv.org.
As Ohio’s largest Christian public policy organization, Center for Christian Virtue seeks the good of our neighbors by advocating for public policy that reflects the truth of the Gospel.
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