By: Alliance Defending Freedom Litigation Counsel, Rory Gray

NCAA Football National Champion University of Alabama recently proved that its champion spirit does not end in the stadium.

In June, Alliance Defending Freedom sent a letter to the University regarding its non-discrimination policy for student organization that required student groups to open leadership and voting membership positions “to all students…without regard to race, religion, sex, disability, or national origin, except in cases of designated fraternal organizations.”

These types of policies can be problematic, especially for a religious student group. As years of experience have shown, universities can use these policies to prohibit religious groups from requiring their leaders and members to adhere to the beliefs of the group. A Christian group could potentially be required to allow atheists to be leaders; a Muslim group could be forced to permit Buddhist leaders.

Just a few days ago, the University of Alabama responded, informing Alliance Defending Freedom that it is adding language to the policy stating that “religious student groups will not be denied registration solely because they limit membership or leadership positions to students who share the same religious beliefs.”

It is encouraging to see universities like Alabama taking a stand for the First Amendment rights of their students. In a time when many universities are seeking to roll back the rights of religious student groups, the Crimson Tide rolled forward, proving itself a champion of religious liberty.