ACLU Sues Indiana State University Over Pride Center Funding

TERRE HAUTE, Ind. — A lawsuit has been filed against Indiana State University (ISU) and two of its administrators, claiming the university violated the First Amendment by terminating funding for student workers at the Pride Center of Terre Haute. The lawsuit, filed on Monday by the ACLU of Indiana, seeks to have the funding restored.

The Pride Center is a local nonprofit that provides services and resources to the LGBTQ+ community, including health education, HIV testing, and community events. The center is largely run by volunteers but relies on student workers from ISU, whose salaries are paid through a combination of federal work-study programs and ISU’s Sycamore Community Work Program.

According to the lawsuit, ISU cut off this funding in August 2024. The university’s stated reason for the move was a new memo from the U.S. Department of Justice regarding anti-discrimination practices. An email from ISU cited this guidance as necessitating the decision.

However, the lawsuit argues that the university’s action is punitive and unconstitutional. The Pride Center maintains that its hiring practices and the services it offers are open to everyone, regardless of gender identity or sexual orientation. The lawsuit says that by terminating the funding, ISU is unlawfully targeting the center for its advocacy and support of the LGBTQ+ community.

The Pride Center has a “very small budget,” and the lawsuit says that the student workers are “invaluable and necessary” for the center to function. While the organization has temporarily assumed the cost of the student salaries to stay operational, it says this is not a sustainable long-term solution. The legal action is aimed at forcing the university to reinstate the funding so the center can continue its mission.

ACLU Sues Indiana State University Over Pride Center Funding  was originally published on wibc.com