Separation of church and state: Not a myth after all! The Kentucky Supreme Court just ruled the University of the Cumberlands, a Baptist university, cannot keep an $11 million state grant lawmakers gave in 2006 to open a pharmacy school and scholarship program, because, well, state money cannot fund a church school. Even when it’s secular. And while the justices didn’t mention it, this whole case really centers around Jason Johnson, the student expelled by Cumerblands after he noted on his MySpace page that he’s gay, and caused a big freakin’ stink.
Kentucky’s constitution prohibits state money from going to a “church, sectarian or denominational school,” the court said. The funding, backed by Senate President David Williams, R-Burkesville, also violated the constitution’s rule against “special legislation” because it was intended exclusively for one small category of students, it said.
“If Kentucky needs to expand the opportunities for pharmacy school education within the commonwealth, the Kentucky General Assembly may most certainly address that pressing public need, but not by appropriating public funds to an educational institution that is religiously affiliated,” Justice Lisabeth Hughes Abramson wrote for the majority, upholding a 2008 circuit court that blocked the funding.
Johnson, who was a sophomore at the time and who now lives in Connecticut, says the decision is “good for Kentucky. I’m glad the Kentucky Supreme Court upheld the Kentucky Constitution.” For what it’s worth, Johnson, who was allowed to send in coursework after his expulsion and receive his grades, now uses Facebook.
Cam
I LOVE this! So here this school thinks they are going to be bigots, and laugh at kicking out the queer…but doing that proved they were church dominated and they lost an 11 million dollar state grant. I hope that great big 11 million dollar shit sandwhich that school ate tastes good!
PLAYS WELL WITH OTHERS
What is not mentioned here is that when those pricks at the universtity initially expelled Jason, the former Deans List student’s grades were all changed to “F”s……..the lunatic rightwings just keep spreading that Christian lovin and living…….
Kevin_BGFH
Wow, kudos to the Kentucky Supreme Court for supporting the *original* intent of the First Amendment.
Kevin
@Kevin_BGFH: Um, it clearly states that the ruling was based on the KENTUCKY Constitution, not the US Constitution. So nothing at all to do with the First Amendment, and doesn’t act as precedence in US Constitutional interpretation. I will agree on the kudos, though. To imagine that Kentucky, of all places, gets it.
PopSnap
Holy shit he can play doctor with me any day! 8)