MINNEAPOLIS — Two Minnesota church colleges are within their constitutionals rights to screen students and reject any who don’t profess themselves to be Christian or who are gay, a federal judge ruled. The decision by U.S. Judge Nancy Brasel was a victory for:
> Crown College. Enrollment 1,800. In St. Bonifacius. Tuition: $36,200 a year
> University of Northwestern. Enrollment 3,400. In Roseville. Tuition $36,800.
Both colleges are affiliated with evangelical Baptist teachings, a narrow subset in Christian theology. The judge said that the state cannot deny the colleges from participating in a 40-year-old state-funded program that allows gifted high school earn college credits.
Verbatim
Diana Thomson, attorney for the Washington, D.C -based Becket Fund for Religious Liberty, which reprresented the colleges: “Minnesota tried to cut off educational opportunities to thousands of high schoolers simply for their faith. That’s not just unlawful. It’s shameful. This ruling is a win for families who won’t be strong-armed into abandoning their beliefs, and a sharp warning to politicians who target them.”