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Written by Lisa Neff, Staff writer
Nov 16, 2011
A private university's new policy requiring that employees pledge to "reject as acceptable all sexual activity not in agreement with the Bible, including, but not limited to, premarital sex, adultery and homosexuality" is drawing comparisons to loyalty pledges of the McCarthy era.
Shorter University, a Christian-based school in Rome, Ga., recently adopted a new policy requiring employees to sign a "personal lifestyle" statement.
The statement contains four principles of personal conduct:
• The employee be loyal to the Christian-based mission of the university, which is affiliated with the Georgia Baptist Convention.
• The employee not engage in the use, production or distribution of illegal drugs.
• The employee not consume alcohol in the presence of students, including in restaurants, theaters and other venues students might visit.
• The employee "reject as acceptable all sexual activity not in agreement with the Bible, including, but not limited to, premarital sex, adultery and homosexuality."
New hires must sign the pledge as a condition of employment, and current employees must sign the pledge as a condition for contract renewal.
The mandate from the university president states, "Failure to adhere to this statement may result in disciplinary action against me, up to and including immediate termination."
Numerous civil rights groups said that Shorter may be a private institution with the right to require the pledge, but that doesn't make the pledge acceptable.
"The school's anti-LGBT policy is sending a dangerous message to other employees and students that there is something wrong with being lesbian, gay, bisexual or transgender," said Sharon Groves of the Human Rights Campaign's religion and faith program. "As we are all too well aware, sending these types of messages can often have very serious consequences."
Georgia civil rights advocates called the statement an anti-gay loyalty oath similar to the pledges teachers and other public officials were required to make during the Red Scare of the 1950s.
