Supreme Court backs Christian student

A Christian man’s religious liberty case against the public college he attended has garnered support from across the political spectrum. The Supreme Court ruled on Monday that Chike Uzuegbunam could continue his lawsuit against Georgia Gwinnett College for limiting his right to distribute Christian literature on campus. A lower court dismissed the case as moot because the school changed its policies to accommodate religious students’ rights. But in an 8-1 decision, the high court said Uzuegbunam could still sue for damages.

Why is the case significant? Uzuegbunam’s supporters, including the American Civil Liberties Union, say the government should not get away with discrimination just because it eventually reversed a harmful decision or policy. In a similar case in December, the Supreme Court ruled unanimously in favor of two Muslim men who said the FBI unfairly placed them on the no-fly list. The agency reinstated their travel privileges, but the court said the men could ask the FBI to pay damages, too. The two cases could act as a deterrent to violations of religious liberty.

Dig deeper: Read Steve West’s report in Liberties about Uzuegbunam’s case.