Requests documents related to discriminatory policy against students, Christian organizations
WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas), chairman of the Senate Committee on the Judiciary’s Subcommittee on the Constitution, on Monday sent a letter to Yale Law School requesting that the school turn over documents related to its discriminatory policy against students serving in organizations professing traditional Christian views or adhering to traditional sexual ethics.
The letter follows Sen. Cruz’s letter in April, where he notified Yale Law School’s Dean Heather Gerken of his intent to investigate Yale’s policy, which he described as brought about by “unconstitutional animus and a specific discriminatory intent both to blacklist Christian organizations and to punish Yale students whose values or religious faith lead them to work there.”
Jerry Dunleavy of the Washington Examiner penned an article highlighting Sen. Cruz’s letter titled, “Cruz demands Yale documents concerning discrimination against students holding ‘traditional Christian views’.” The article reports: “Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, has stepped up his investigation into Yale Law School over what he says are the school’s discriminatory actions against students with ‘traditional Christian views.’ […] Cruz believes Yale’s new policy could deny financial assistance to students based on the religious affiliation of the organization for which they choose to work, and he asked for documents related to Yale’s decision-making on the issue. […] Cruz’s letter asked Yale to provide information on how much funding students receive for their employment through a variety of political organizations, including with left-leaning groups such as Planned Parenthood and the ACLU versus right-leaning groups such as the Becket Fund and the Alliance Defending Freedom. Yale’s law school dean previously said a committee decided ‘unanimously’ that Yale’s nondiscrimination policy extends to summer public interest fellowships, postgraduate public interest fellowships, and the types of public interest careers for which students receive loan forgiveness. Cruz asked for all of the communications surrounding that decision on Monday.”
Read the article in its entirety here and below:
Washington Examiner
By: Jerry Dunleavy
May 20, 2019
Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, has stepped up his investigation into Yale Law School over what he says are the school’s discriminatory actions against students with “traditional Christian views.”
Cruz, chairman of the Senate Judiciary Constitution Subcommittee, sent the school a letter, obtained by the Washington Examiner, on Monday demanding Yale hand over internal communications on the school’s treatment of its Christian and conservative students.
Last month, Cruz sent Yale Law School Dean Heather Gerken a letter notifying her of his plans to investigate a new law school policy which Cruz said stemmed from “unconstitutional animus and a specific discriminatory intent both to blacklist Christian organizations and to punish Yale students whose values or religious faith lead them to work there.”
Cruz believes Yale’s new policy could deny financial assistance to students based on the religious affiliation of the organization for which they choose to work, and he asked for documents related to Yale’s decision-making on the issue.
Alexander Dreier, Yale’s general counsel, responded that Yale was preserving the relevant documents and was willing to discuss Cruz’s concerns. Dean Gerken responded to Cruz’s April letter by contending that Yale Law School does not discriminate against Christians or conservatives, saying, “We are committed to the values embedded in both the Constitution and the profession that honors it, and we are confident that our policy adheres to those values while respecting — and protecting — religious liberty.”
Cruz’s letter asked Yale to provide information on how much funding students receive for their employment through a variety of political organizations, including with left-leaning groups such as Planned Parenthood and the ACLU versus right-leaning groups such as the Becket Fund and the Alliance Defending Freedom.
Yale’s law school dean previously said a committee decided “unanimously” that Yale’s nondiscrimination policy extends to summer public interest fellowships, postgraduate public interest fellowships, and the types of public interest careers for which students receive loan forgiveness. Cruz asked for all of the communications surrounding that decision on Monday.