Co-ed housing a human right? Catholic University of America unfazed by legal threat over dorm change

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Co-ed housing a human right?
Catholic University of America unfazed by legal threat over dorm change

By Benjamin Mann

Washington D.C. (CNA) – The Catholic University of America says its plan to house men and women separately will withstand any legal challenge from John Banzhaf, known for his lawsuits over fast food and women’s bathrooms.

In a June 21 statement provided to CNA, the university said it “has not received service of any legal proceedings from Professor John Banzhaf regarding the University’s plan to phase in single-gender residence halls.”

Earlier this week, a Fox affiliate in the District reported that Prof. Banzhaf had issued the school an “intent-to-sue” notice because of the plan. The university, however, says it is still waiting to “review any legal documents if and when they are received.”

Banzhaf – whose own website notes that he has been called “the Ralph Nader of Junk Food” and the “Osama bin Laden of Torts,” as well as the “Father of Potty Parity” (for his lawsuits over restroom access) – said he would sue the university for violating the District of Columbia’s Human Rights Act.

The George Washington University law professor claims to have won more than 100 legal actions under that law, which he argues “prohibits any discrimination based directly or indirectly upon sex unless it is strictly necessary for the entity to remain in business.”

Although the law in question does prohibit institutions from discriminating on the basis of sex, it does so for the stated purpose of ensuring that “every individual shall have an equal opportunity to participate fully… in places of public accommodation, resort or amusement, in educational institutions, in public service, and in housing and commercial space accommodations.”

Catholic University said on Tuesday that it was “confident that the law does not require men and women be housed together in residence halls.”

calcatholic.com/news/newsArticle.aspx?id=4ce68790-d497-4c6b-aa9c-ec195c4031d8
 
Who the heck wants to send their kid there anyway? They don’t teach science there. Who cares what they do when they don’t educate kids anyway.
 
A George Washington University professor has “NO STANDING” at other Universities and any papers he may file would be thrown out of Court without further adieu.

Single sex dormatories are a great idea.

Now if Catholic University of America would use the “CATECHISM of the CATHOLIC CHURCH, Second Edition” as a student text for first or second year students as part of the required general ciriculum it would be great.
(I wrote to them in early 2010, and it was not at that time.)
As a parent, I would only send my child to an undergrad school that used the CCC as a Student Text such as Ave Maria University, etc. This protects the Student from errors of the student, of a professor, or purposeful errors from enemies within the Church. It also prepares him/or her for life on earth.

It is false information that CUA does not offer Science, etc.
admissions.cua.edu/undergrad/academic/programs.html
 
CUA has problems with regard to orthodoxy but this move is something that I support and say it should have been done a LONG time ago. However, I watched Fox News yesterday and John Banzhaf was the most ignorant person I have ever seen. He was rude, obnoxious and arrogant to say the least.

I would love for Rich and Beau to weigh in on this matter as I know they are lawyers, but from a moral perspective I am outraged that a University can’t make these decisions without a threat of a lawsuit. Since when is sex and binge drinking a constitutional right?!!
 
Well, he’s got a point if you are claiming that the dorms for men and women are ‘separate but equal’; which was found to violate the 14th amendment. However that has never been applied to the immutable differences between sexes and the rights to privacy of a sexual group which would be endangered.

Plus, for a equal protection argument, one needs state action. So legally, the suit has no basis.
 
Well, he’s got a point if you are claiming that the dorms for men and women are ‘separate but equal’; which was found to violate the 14th amendment. However that has never been applied to the immutable differences between sexes and the rights to privacy of a sexual group which would be endangered.

Plus, for a equal protection argument, one needs state action. So legally, the suit has no basis.
Except the suit is not based on the constitution but on a DC statute.

As for standing, sometimes “civil rights type laws do not require actual injury to create standing.”

I’d say he has a 30/70 shot.
 
Who the heck wants to send their kid there anyway? They don’t teach science there. Who cares what they do when they don’t educate kids anyway.
Are you referring to GW or to CUA? CUA most definately teaches science. Among their majors:
School of Arts and Sciences
• Anthropology
• Biochemistry
• Biology
• Chemical Physics
• Chemistry
• Environmental Chemistry
• Physics
• Psychology
• Sociology
CUA has problems with regard to orthodoxy but this move is something that I support and say it should have been done a LONG time ago. However, I watched Fox News yesterday and John Banzhaf was the most ignorant person I have ever seen. He was rude, obnoxious and arrogant to say the least.
Most Catholic colleges in the US seem to have a hard time finding their relation to the Church. They are constantly moving away from or toward Catholic teaching. CUA is not perfect but they are trending in the right direction - for now.

Single sex dorms are no more discriminatory than single sex floors in co-ed dorms, which was the case in almost every college we visited over the past few years. In fact, even designating a given room as “female” or “male” has the same basis.

How would an all girls college survive?
 
You have to agree to join these universities. When you agreed to join the university, you agreed to go by its statutes. Co-ed housing is not a human right.
 
You have to agree to join these universities. When you agreed to join the university, you agreed to go by its statutes. Co-ed housing is not a human right.
What?? I thought that on university campuses, cohabitation, sex, drink and drugs were absolute rights, and that studying was optional.

(Just kidding.) But–who knows, if it’s the District of Columbia, maybe I’m not kidding.
 
The District of Columbia’s Office of Human Rights is skeptical about this (possible) lawsuit:
Gustavo Velasquez, the director of the District’s Office of Human Rights, said though the lawsuit has not yet been filed, he believes CUA may find exemption as a religious organization from the D.C. Human Rights Act.
“I’m not sure that co-ed dormitories are a right under this law,” Velasquez said. “To me, there is something much more fundamental in questioning this suit. Who is being discriminated against? What is the effect of discrimination? What is the injury here?”
blogs.gwhatchet.com/newsroom/2011/06/21/professor-challenges-catholic-universitys-single-sex-housing/
 
What?? I thought that on university campuses, cohabitation, sex, drink and drugs were absolute rights, and that studying was optional.

(Just kidding.) But–who knows, if it’s the District of Columbia, maybe I’m not kidding.
We’re gonna fight…

For our right

to PAAAAAARTYYYYYYYYYYYYY! 😃
 
What I mean is they don’t teach it.
And then someone pointed out that they do, in fact, teach science.
Among their majors:
School of Arts and Sciences
• Anthropology
• Biochemistry
• Biology
• Chemical Physics
• Chemistry
• Environmental Chemistry
• Physics
• Psychology
• Sociology
And then you repeated your claim that they don’t teach science. And that’s about the time I got confused.
 
What I mean is they don’t teach it.
They most certainly do - they’re not Bob Jones. Yes, the vast majority of the professors likely are Catholic, but Dawkins to the contrary, it’s possible to do science while being a Catholic.
 
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