The American Humanist Association expressed enthusiastic approval today of the Supreme Court’s affirmation of the 9th Circuit Court’s decision allowing the California Hastings College of the Law to deny recognition to a Christian-only student group.

“The Supreme Court’s decision in CLS v. Martinez recognizes the important purposes served by nondiscrimination policies at public universities. Equality, not religious based discrimination, is the core American principle here.” said Bob Ritter, attorney and legal coordinator of the Appignani Humanist Legal Center.

“As the American Humanist Association asked in its friend of the court brief, the Court found that Hastings’ “all comers” policy is a reasonable, viewpoint neutral condition for using the schools facilities, funds and channels of communication,” said Ritter. “Consequently, the policy did not transgress First Amendment limitations.”

The Christian Legal Society (CLS) sued the California Hastings College of the Law in 2004 after being barred from school funding, priority access to facilities and use of Hasting’s logo. This ban was in response to the CLS’s exclusion of non-Christians and gays from voting and leadership positions.

Continues: http://www.americanhumanist.org/news/details/2010-06-humanists-celebrate-cls-vs-martinez-decision