Overview
- Indiana State University ended work-study and grant support for Pride Center student workers on Aug. 15, citing recent DOJ guidance on nondiscrimination and federal funding.
- The ACLU of Indiana filed the federal lawsuit on Monday on behalf of the Pride Center and is asking the court to require ISU to fund the positions while the case proceeds.
- An ISU official referenced the DOJ memo in an email, stating the university may not require applicants to hold a particular identity-based viewpoint, according to the complaint.
- The Pride Center, which says its services and hiring are open to all, relies on four ISU student workers and has temporarily covered their pay, calling the stopgap unsustainable.
- ISU did not immediately respond to questions, and the case follows an earlier dispute resolved this year over the group’s ability to hold Pride Fest on campus.