Missouri Grad Student Thrown Out Of Program For Religious Beliefs

The veil is lifted yet again on the intolerance of the Left.

A student in a counseling masters program at Missouri State University allegedly got the boot for expressing his religious views. Andrew Cash said that he would not counsel a gay couple, citing his religious faith, but would have no problem counseling a gay man or woman. His sin against the Left, making a personal choice based on deeply religious beliefs, was met with his expulsion from the program by the oh-so-tolerant administration, claims Cash.

Cash is currently suing MSU for such action.

Fulfilling a requirement of mandated face-to-face hours of counseling for the masters program, Cash volunteered at Springfield Marriage and Family Institute (SFMI), a Christian organization, which he had approved by the college. According to Cash, the school was aware that it was a Christian-based institute and at least one other student in the class was working with SFMI as well.

Cash arranged for a surrogate of the institute to speak to the class as part of a project; the counselor ended up answering questions concerning gay couples and praying: SFMI prays with those who ask, and refers gay couples to other agencies for marriage counseling per their religious beliefs.

Per the complaint filed on behalf of Cash:

Boyce [Cash’s supervisor at SMFI] explained SMFI’s Christian-based approach to counseling, and indicated that the Christian value foundation of the counseling practice was well known to anyone who came to seek counseling. A question was asked if SMFI prays with clients. Referencing an openly displayed Bible Boyce said that he would pray with a client upon request. A student asked Boyce if SMFI counsels gay couples. Boyce said that he would counsel gay persons as individuals, but not as couples, because of his religious beliefs, but would refer the couple for counseling to other counselors he knew who did not share his religious views.

This did not sit well this Cash’s teacher. Cash was soon informed by the internship coordinator, Dr. Perryman, that he was no longer allowed to clock his volunteer hours with SFMI; he was told that the hours he’d clocked thus far were void; he was forced to audit two courses he had already passed with an “A” grade; he was forced on a “remediation plan,” seemingly in attempt to indoctrinate him “to reject the tenets of his Christian faith,” per The Lid.

Then, finally, finishing off the act of “tolerance,” in November of 2014, Cash was informed at a meeting with the Dean of MSU that he was being booted from the program.

Thomas Olp, an attorney from the firm handling Cash’s suit, issued a statement on behalf of his client, reprimanding the university for their lack of tolerance to different viewpoints — including both secular and religious:

Traditionally, universities have been places for free exchange of ideas and values, both religious and secular. Unfortunately, Missouri State University departed from its mission by denying educational opportunity to Mr. Cash simply because he expressed, in an academic setting, sincerely-held religious beliefs which his advisor deemed hostile to her own and therefore unacceptable. An educator should not permit her own ideology and agenda to ruin the educational opportunities of her students. We feel the responsibility, on Mr. Cash’s behalf, to try to correct this.”

At a public university such as MSU, it’s more than troubling that expressing religious beliefs that don’t align with a clearly intolerant administration would result in discrimination and eventually expulsion from a program. Troubling, yet sadly predictable.