Michigan Attorney General Releases Statement Supporting Eastern Michigan University Student Who Refused To Council Gay Client; EMU Releases Statement That Case Is Not About Homosexuality Or Religious Freedom But About Curriculum Requirements

Monday, Michigan Attorney General Bill Schuette released a statement saying Julea Ward was well within her rights when she refused to counsel a gay student while studying counselling at Eastern Michigan University, according to a report by AnnArbor.com. Schuette’s statement, posted on his website, supports Ward’s civil suit against EMU, which dismissed her after she refused to affirm a gay client’s relationship in 2009, later telling her supervisor at EMU she believes homosexuality is immoral and being gay is a choice, and therefore could not in good conscience counsel the client. She soon after sued the school. A federal court dismissed the case in July, but Ward’s lawyers have asked the United States Court of Appeals for the Sixth District to review the case. Schuette has filed a brief in that court supporting Ward, according to his website, writing in part that “The religious freedoms enshrined in our Constitution do not evaporate when you step on campus. Unless these freedoms are vigorously defended, it sets a dangerous precedent that threatens education for all students of faith. We must strongly defend and protect the rights of any citizen to ensure the rights of all citizens." The American Civil Liberties Union of Michigan has also weighed in on the issue, but in support of EMU’s decision to dismiss Ward, Daniel Mach, director of the ACLU Program on Freedom of Religion and Belief, said in a press release in February that “While counsellors are certainly entitled to their own religious beliefs, EMU correctly took steps to prevent Ms. Ward from imposing those beliefs on her clients in the university’s training program. EMU would be remiss if it allowed counselling students to discriminate against clients for any reason, including sexual orientation.” Eastern Michigan University responded to Schuette's in a statement on its website, saying the case is not about Ward's rights, writing in part that "This case has never been about religion or religious discrimination. It is not about homosexuality or sexual orientation. This case is about what is in the best interest of a client who is in need of counselling, and following the curricular requirements of our highly-respected and nationally-accredited counselling program, which adheres to the Code of Ethics of the American Counselling Association and the Ethical Standards of the American School Counsellor Association."