Move to Derecognize College Republican Chapter Overturned

From Cybercast News Service:

(CNSNews.com) - After drawing fire from school administrators and student rights groups over the past month, a Rhode Island college student senate has overturned its decision to force an apology from the College Republican chapter for a satirical stunt.

Highlighting its opposition to scholarships not based on merit, College Republicans at Rhode Island University decided late last year to offer a scholarship for "white male heterosexuals." Applicants were invited to submit an essay describing the "adversity" experienced for being a white heterosexual male.

The senate's Student Organizations Advisory Review Committee (SOARC) decided the scholarship violated the school's anti-discrimination bylaws and voted earlier this month to force the group to apologize.

The SOARC stance drew criticism from the school administration and the Foundation for Individual Rights in Education (FIRE), but when the College Republicans refused to apologize, the committee voted to derecognize the group.

But in a meeting of the full student senate last week, that decision was overturned, and the request for an apology was withdrawn. The senate instead asked the College Republicans to write a letter to 40 students who had applied, explaining that the $100 scholarship was purely satirical.

Student senate President Neil Leston told Cybercast News Service Friday that he did not think that forcing the College Republicans to apologize was a just decision.

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Previous Pro Ecclesia posts on this subject:
College GOP Group Loses Recognition for Anti-PC Stunt