Abilene Christian Bans Same-Sex Dating For Student Employees
Abilene Christian University is in the news for a new extension to their rule regarding same-sex dating for their employees and how it affects student employees. Some people say this is discrimination on the part of one Texas university, but the university says their policy is legal and in line with the school's morals. Abilene Christine has extended a current rule they have for faculty and staff that bans same-sex dating to now include student employees of the university. But there are some exceptions to the new rule extension. According to The Blaze, "positions that would impact standards set by accrediting bodies and the National Collegiate Athletic Association will be exempt from this rule change." The new ban will be dealt with, according to university officials, on a case-by-case basis and will go into effect next fall.
Some students are now asking the question, just how far does this ban go? What does this mean, if you and a buddy go to the movies together? Will the Brandon-approved "buffer" seat go from a courtesy to an actual necessity? The school already has rules that include both heterosexual and same-sex relationships that bars them from having sexual activity before marriage. But adding the stipulation of no same-sex dating for student employees is new. The President of Abilene Christian, Phil Schubert, says that student employees should be examples and support the university's mission:
“Our goal here is not to place an undue restriction on students, but we're recognizing that employees, we believe, are asked to do something different in terms of carrying out the mission of the institution and delivering the educational experience that we're offering."
You can read more about this story at the Texas Tribune website.