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April 20, 2006

U.S. Senate bill may exempt Christian colleges from antidiscrimination laws

U.S. Senate bill may exempt Christian colleges from antidiscrimination laws

A bill pending in the U.S. Senate could exempt private Christian colleges from local nondiscrimination laws, allowing them to legally reject gay students. A proposed amendment to the 1965 Higher Education Act would make it easier for faith-based schools to discriminate against gays.

The amendment to the act, which was originally created to provide schools with the resources to let low-income students in, was proposed by Utah congressman Chris Cannon. It would require accrediting boards to consider an institution's "religious and moral goals" during evaluation.

The bill could also prevent accrediting boards from requiring adherence to state and local nondiscrimination laws if they conflict with those goals. Many denominational schools have already voiced their approval of the bill, including Brigham Young, Notre Dame, Baylor, and Pepperdine.

The measure passed the House last week and was then sent to committee in the Senate, which also passed it. But before it did, the committee added language to the measure stating that it is "not meant to allow an institution to discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, or disability," leaving out only sexual orientation.

The bill, with the new wording, is now pending on the Senate floor. (Sirius OutQ News)

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