SNU creates new covenant for Title IX exemptions

by Sara Ritsch
Staff Writer

Southern Nazarene University is taking advantage of their Title IX exemptions by unveiling a new covenant, which will give students and faculty the option of whether to fully comply with their religious beliefs or to leave the institution.

According to SNU’s student newspaper The ECHO, “In the summer of 2015, when the Supreme Court ruled that same sex marriage is legal in the United States, the administration of SNU immediately decided to put in writing the university’s beliefs and values into a covenant that all faculty and staff would sign.”

Dr. Melany Kyzer, Vice President of SNU Academic Affairs, said about the new covenant that “if you are owned by a church, then you need to align yourself with that church...because right now, the government recognizes churches as being exempt from some of these rulings that are coming out. So, if you are tied to a church, you need to align yourself with that church, and in that way you have greater protection.”

In this sense, their protection is from homosexuality and alternative gender identity, as stated in Title IX.

Last week, the U.S. Department of Education released all records related to universities requesting Title IX exemption through their Office for Civil Rights. Campus Pride Executive Director Shane Windmeyer released a statement regarding its discrimination.

“No student should fear for their safety in higher education — and no college should be allowed to openly discriminate against youth using religion-based bigotry. Tax payer dollars are being used to sanction discrimination toward LGBTQ youth.  This is harmful to these young people. It is shameful and wrong,” he said.

SNU is known to uphold its Christian beliefs, but the new covenant may make some students and faculty fear for their standing at the university.

"I am very frustrated that SNU would go down this path," said Ty McCarthy, former SNU student. "It is clearly targeted at one people-group, and discrimination should have no place at a Christian university."

An exemption from Title IX would mean that engaging in homosexuality or the LGBT community could have students either suspended or expelled, much like at exempt schools with covenants such as Oral Roberts University.

"SNU is trying to retreat into its parent Church, instead of engaging in the culture," said McCarthy.

"Getting a TItle IX exemption sends a clear message to students that it is SNU's way or the highway. It gives very little recourse for students and staff that would be accused of violating the ‘lifestyle covenant.’

“This is sadly a part of a greater reactionary trend that we are seeing all across the country at Christian colleges," he added.

The Gayly – 5/9/2016 @ 4:32 p.m. CDT