A dispute between the University of Wisconsin at Madison and a Roman Catholic student group is over — and the student group won.
The university, according to the Associated Press, has agreed to give the UW Roman Catholic Foundation $250,000 in student fees next year. The university, citing its nondiscrimination policy, had declined to recognize the group because it limits its membership to Catholics.
In March a U.S. district judge ordered the university to stop enforcing its nondiscrimination policy against religious groups, setting the stage for this week’s settlement. The judge also told the foundation that it lacked sufficient students on its board to receive financing as a student group. As part of the settlement, the foundation added student members to its board.
The dispute is one of a number of recent cases that have tested church-state boundaries on campuses. —Thomas Bartlett
