The American Bar Association (ABA) is investigating claims that the Brigham Young University law school expelled gay and Mormon students who no longer considered themselves “Mormons.”
The American Bar Association (ABA) is reviewing the formal complaint from a group of BYU alumni pushing for LDS students who lose or change their faith to be allowed to finish their degree, said FreeBYU spokesman Brad Levin.
"There's increasing support and awareness," Levin said, pointing to a petition with more than 2,700 signatures, "even among faithful Mormons."
BYU is a religious school and already has a a well-earned reputation for being hostile towards the LGBT community.
Brigham Young University remains one of the most hostile campuses in the country for gay and transgender students, according to an annual college ranking list.
But the private university does not top the list of LGBT-unfriendly schools. In fact, it came in sixth in a list of 10, mostly religious, schools. Grove City College (Grove City, Pa.) a Christian liberal arts school of 2,500 students. and Hampden-Sydney College, an all-male liberal arts college affiliated with the Presbyterian Church in Hampden Sydney Va., came in first and second.
Only sixth worst? By the metrics of the religiously intolerant that makes BYU the “South Beach” of religious schools when it comes to the LGBT community. BYU representatives do not seem too worried. Mary Hoagland is the assistant dean for external relations at the school:
"We have been accredited by the ABA since 1974," Hoagland's statement reads, "and are confident that we continue to meet ABA standards."
Levin, who graduated from BYU in 2011 with a dual degree in law and public administration, believes the religion policy is "hypocritical" of a law school that holds conferences on religious freedom.
The next steps are dependent on the findings of the ABA’s investigation. Stay tuned but do not hold your breath.