Anderson University students and alumni are protesting the renewal of a faculty member’s contract, Fox Carolina reported.
The students complained that the professor’s contract was not renewed due to his sexual orientation and gender identity.
A statement from Anderson said, “Anderson University is a private Christian university that supports the traditional South Carolina Baptist view of biblical sexuality and marriage. As a condition of employment, and as described in our Employee Handbook, ‘Employees need to be actively aware and respectful of its communal relationships and the way their behavior can affect these relationships. In doing so, faculty members must not compromise or honor the university’s statement of confidence. ‘ Therefore, faculty members are unable or unwilling to adhere to this policy and are not intended to teach statements of our faith. The ability of Anderson University to be an independent, faith-based institution has been confirmed by the Bill of Rights. If Christian universities are not allowed to support deeply rooted religious beliefs in setting expectations about conduct, private faith-based universities cannot be separated from public universities. We exist to give faculty, staff and students a choice. “
