HAMMOND | A former graduate student at Purdue University Calumet is suing school officials he alleges discriminated against his religious views against gay marriage.
Jeffrey J. Ford says the professors and administrators of PUC's Marriage and Family Therapy Program, where he was taking master's degree classes, subjected him to a wide pattern of unconstitutional discrimination that plunged him into depression and derailed his education.
Ford's lawsuit was filed by the Arizona-based Alliance Defense Fund, a national conservative legal organization that bills itself as the nation's largest Christian public-interest law firm.
"The university advocated liberal and permissive views regarding sexuality and homosexual contact," the lawsuit said. "As a result, it viewed conservative and religious students as particularly suspect and actively sought to change their views."
The civil lawsuit was filed against four Purdue university officials Aug. 17 in U.S. District Court in Hammond. University officials referred all comments to their attorneys in Indianapolis, who could not be reached for comment.
Ford is a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and ascribes to church's teachings his belief that marriage is reserved for unions between men and women and that sex between gay men or lesbians is sinful.
The suit alleges that doctrine conflicted with the policy of PUC's program. The student handbook says it supports same-sex marriage and gay and lesbian parenthood.
Ford said he was repeatedly pressured to change his religious views. He claims his school work received enhanced scrutiny and school officials refused to write letters of recommendation to doctoral programs.
"Rather than fostering a healthy atmosphere for academic development, (PUC officials) created an environment of intimidation, fear and ostracization for students who disagreed with the university's dogma on issues related to marriage and sexuality," the lawsuit says.
Several faculty members of the therapy program said Ford's strong opposition to homosexuality might stem from his repression of his own homosexuality, and they asked him repeatedly why "he cared about these issues," the lawsuit says.
Though he feared being kicked out of the program, Ford graduated with a master's degree in 2006, but has not been accepted to a doctoral program.
"The primary purpose of this lawsuit is justice for Mr. Ford," said David French, lead attorney for Ford. "But it's important for people to realize that in large chunks of academia ... mainstream religious beliefs are considered to be dangerous and worthy of punishment."
