An exciting legal update: Today, we filed an amended complaint with the court – which includes new constitutional claims in our lawsuit and the addition of seven new plaintiffs, each with a unique story of how discrimination at the hands of taxpayer-funded religious colleges have impacted them.
Today’s filing brings our case up to 40 total plaintiffs – which include a mix of current students, graduates, recently expelled students and a parent.
The new plaintiffs joining our case today include:
Devin Bryant + Consolata Bryant: Devin was a student at Covenant Christian Academy in Texas until expelled by the school. Consolata is his mother.
Saren Craig: Saren attended College of the Ozarks in Missouri. They eventually left Missouri for the Air Force and studied mental health after completing their military service.
Mortimer Halligan: Mortimer is a first-generation student who is leaving Indiana Wesleyan University.
Jamie Lord: Jamie is a law student at Regent University School of Law in Virginia.
Justin & Daniel Tidwell-Davis: Justin and Daniel each went to religious colleges – Justin to Baylor University in Texas and Daniel to Lee University in Tennessee – and after graduating met and married.
“I don't want any other students to go through the shame, fear, and isolation that I endured as a student at Baylor; that’s why I'm joining the REAP lawsuit. LGBTQ+ students deserve to feel safe at their schools, religious or not, and they should have all of the opportunities their straight peers enjoy: to thrive academically, to make friends, to be involved in campus life, and to be accepted and supported – instead of the antagonism, and mental and emotional distress they currently endure.”
Justin Tidwell-Davis
“I am joining the REAP lawsuit because everyone should be able to attend a religious university if they feel called to do so. Regent University School of Law has created and continued to allow an environment full of discrimination that will permanently affect students for the rest of our lives. Colleges and universities should not be able to hide behind religion to excuse their hateful behavior toward students because of their sexuality. It is time to hold these institutions accountable and have them treat all students with dignity as they obtain their education.”
-Jamie Lord
You can read the full amended complaint here – and be sure to connect with us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram to learn more about our new plaintiffs in the coming weeks.
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