Via Religion Clause, a graduate counseling student at Augusta State University was expelled from her program not because of her religious beliefs, but because she insisted upon imposing her beliefs on future patients the 11th Circuit ruled yesterday in denying the student's motion for an injunction. Student Jennifer Keeton argued religious discrimination and religious freedom violations, but University officials countered that Keeton's approach – for which she refused remedial support – would violate the American Counseling Association's Code of Ethics. The Chronicle of Higher Education has more:
[I]n an August 2010 ruling, a federal district court disagreed with Ms. Keeton, finding that the university had sought only to have her learn to not let her personal views affect the counseling she would provide to gay and lesbian clients, a part of the practical training in the school-counseling program.
In its ruling on Friday, a unanimous three-judge panel of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 11th Circuit agreed with the district court, ruling that because Ms. Keeton was unlikely to prevail in her lawsuit, a court order for her at this stage was unwarranted.
You can read the ruling here.
