U. Minn. students get set for legal war

The Minnesota Daily MINNEAPOLIS (U-WIRE) -- An ad hoc group of students told about 100 University of Minnesota community members to prepare to join a nationwide battle against religious conservative thinking. "I would like to welcome you to the free speech war in 1998," said Kalpana Krishnamurthy, staff member of the student government of the University of Wisconsin-Madison. The group of students, who are concerned about a recent lawsuit against the University of Minnesota's Board of Regents, organized a "teach-in" last Thursday to hear opinions and educate people about a legal action that could result in the closure of several student cultural centers and possibly other student services. The lawsuit, filed two weeks ago by five students who describe themselves as sincere Christians, objects to the mandatory Student Services Fees paid by all Minnesota students. They said their First Amendment rights are being violated because they must pay the following fees: 48 cents per quarter to La Raza Student Cultural Center, 24 cents per quarter to the Queer Student Cultural Center and 32 cents per quarter to University Young Women. In the lawsuit, the students maintain that the fees "force them" to fund viewpoints contradicting their personal beliefs. Two student government representatives from Madison, including Krishnamurthy, spoke about similar lawsuits around the country, including a successful one at their school two years ago. That decision enabled Wisconsin students to opt out of paying student services fees, and the group wants to make sure that the ruling isn't repeated in Minnesota. Junior Darren Stewart defended the mandatory fee funding of cultural centers. "Just because you don't use [the centers], doesn't mean that you can't benefit from them." "Do not doubt that this is part of a larger agenda of folks that disagree with the activity of college students," Krishnamurthy said. Others in the crowd concurred. "It's obviously part of a national strategy of the right wing," said Megan Thomas, administrative coordinator for the Queer Student Cultural Center. The Madison lawsuit was filed two years ago by three law students claiming violation of their First Amendment religious rights as well. The suit was decided in the students' favor in federal district court, but was appealed to a federal circuit court in Chicago, where it awaits a decision. The Madison case was funded with $35,000 from the Alliance Defense Fund, a conservative legal organization in Phoenix, Arizona that says its goal is to "reclaim legal ground in this country for the body of Christ." The fund is also providing the financial means for the Minnesota plaintiffs. The lawyer for the case could not be reached for comment on the amount. In 1995, the Phoenix-based organization also funded legal costs for University of Virginia student Ronald Rosenberger. Rosenberger sued the school for the right to receive funding from student activities fees to start a campus Christian newspaper. The suit succeeded. The fund also recommended a lawyer for the Madison students, Jordan Lorence, who is also representing the Minnesota students as well. Lorence, a Twin Cities native, is nationally known for defending Christian conservatives. He has also represented various cases by members of the Minnesota Family Council, the state's premier Christian conservative advocacy group. The council is organizing the Student Services Fees lawsuit. Council members said they don't expect much of a backlash against the lawsuit by student groups. "All of the students [filing the lawsuit] are committed to the university," said Kent Kaiser, communications director for the council. "They just want to make it a better place."