November 9, 2006

University Settles With Christian Student Who Objected to Social-Work Assignment

Missouri State University has settled a lawsuit with a former social-work student who asserted that the institution had retaliated against her for not participating in a class project supporting homosexuals’ adoption of children. The university announced it would pay Emily Brooker $9,000 as well as cover about $12,000 in fees for a master’s degree in social work. It will also pay for living expenses for two years of graduate school.

Ms. Brooker argued that Frank G. Kauffman, the assistant professor who directed her undergraduate social-work program, had accused her of violating the university’s Standards of Essential Functioning in Social Work Education after she refused to sign her name to a letter her entire class had written to the Missouri Legislature in support of homosexual adoption. She maintained that signing such a letter violated her Christian beliefs. Mr. Kauffman has voluntarily stepped down as head of the program, according to the university, although he remains on the faculty.

Several conservative groups have attacked the Council on Social Work Education, an accrediting body, for imposing standards on the field that discriminate against students based on their political beliefs and that violate their free-speech rights. The groups contend that the requirements can amount to a loyalty test to left-wing principles.

Comments

1. It confuses why some folks pick “Social Work” — why not just go into another field where you can remain more comfortably close minded?

   — irene paoni    Nov 11, 10:31 AM    #

2. The students that go into these types of fields need to be more open minded. I hope that this person never becomes a practicing Social Worker. What will be the next thing or circumstance that is against her Chrisrian Beliefs?

   — William Border    Nov 13, 09:18 AM    #

3. WOW, You mock this student for their lack of open mindness what about yours? To be a social worker you do not have to have one set of views and values, thats what makes the profession so great is we all come from different walks of life and have different beliefs. There are many of us out there that are social workers and Christians and that said means that there is a lot of us who maynot support homosexual adoptions this does not mean that we can not be helpful it just means were not going to help with that battle but there are several other areas we are out there fighting for. I hope you open your mind and understand that just because someone may have a different beliefe in one area then you does not make that person a BAD social worker. -Christina

   — Christina    Nov 15, 12:40 PM    #

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