Summary

Lone Star College gave officials unrestricted authority to recognize and derecognize student organizations based on whether those officials approved of the viewpoints of the groups. An official derecognized Young Conservatives of Texas on the CyFair campus after the group posted a video online of an abortion debate that it sponsored with the school’s permission. The official resigned as the club’s advisor and said the club’s mission didn’t align with the mission of the college. Under school policies, a club must have a faculty sponsor in order to remain recognized.

ADF filed suit, also challenging the recognition policies, as well as policies that required all students to pay student activity fees to fund student organization activities but only allowed student groups that college officials preferred to draw from those funds. The parties reached a settlement agreement, under which the college agreed to (i) recognize the Young Conservatives of Texas student group, (ii) change its policies to ensure that it will no longer discriminate against any student group based on its viewpoint, and (iii) pay $13,250 in attorneys’ fees.

Links