ATHENS, Ga. — The University of Georgia today agreed to recognize a Christian fraternity, Beta Upsilon Chi (BYX), as a registered student organization. Attorneys with the Christian Legal Society and Alliance Defense Fund filed a complaint on Tuesday in a federal district court against university officials for violating the group’s constitutional rights.
“Christian student groups have the same constitutional rights as other student groups on campus. We’re pleased that the university has now said that it will respect BYX’s First Amendment right to select officers and members that share the group’s Christian beliefs,” said Timothy J. Tracey, litigation counsel for CLS’s Center for Law & Religious Freedom. “Student groups like BYX are an asset to campus life and should be encouraged, not discouraged.”
BYX, or Brothers Under Christ, is a fraternity of Christian male college students who wish to foster fellowship through their common belief in Jesus Christ. The university denied the fraternity recognition in November, claiming the group’s requirements that officials and members profess faith in Christ is “religious discrimination.”
Without official recognition, BYX was denied important benefits provided other student groups, such as access to meeting space and ability to advertise on campus. In a swift response to the lawsuit filed Tuesday (
www.telladf.org/news/story.aspx?cid=3938), UGA officials agreed to recognize BYX as a registered student organization with all the associated benefits. They also agreed to amend their nondiscrimination policy to allow religious groups to select members and officers who agree with their beliefs.
UGA’s letter agreeing to recognize BYX can be read at
www.telladf.org/UserDocs/UGAletter.pdf.
“We look forward to working with the university to change its nondiscrimination policy so that it will respect the constitutional rights of all religious student organizations,” said Tracey.
Together, ADF, America’s largest legal alliance, and CLS, America’s premier network of Christian legal professionals, defend religious liberty, human life, marriage, and the family.
www.telladf.org www.clsnet.org