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Professor Hosts Constitution Day Presentation

On Tuesday, September 20, professor of political science, Peter Meilander, hosted a presentation with Christen Price entitled “Transgender Rights, Religious Liberty, and Higher Education: The Story of California Senate Bill 1146” in honor of Constitution Day, which happened on September 17.

Price, an attorney with Alliance Defending Freedom, first, explained The California Senate Bill 1146, and then provided an opportunity for questions from those who attended the presentation.

Constitution Day, according to constitutionday.com, “…commemorates the formation and signing of the U.S. Constitution by thirty-nine brave men on September 17, 1787, recognizing all who, are born in the U.S. or by naturalization, have become citizens.” All educational institutions that receive federal funding are required to observe Constitution Day.

The presentation, hosted via Skype, largely discussed religious freedom in regards to California Senate Bill 1146 (SB 1146). The bill was introduced by California senator, Ricardo Lara, on February 18, 2016 and was passed in Senate on August 30, 2016. Once passing the Senate, it went on to the Assembly of Higher Education Committee where it was also passed.

According to Price, “…in its worst form, SB 1146 amended the education code to add the disclosure provisions…” Some of these disclosures, described by Price early on in the discussion and included, “…requiring students to sign a statement of faith, maintaining sex segregated dorms or shower facilities that are based on biological sex rather than gender identity, or expecting community members to comply with Christian standards for sexual morality…”

The bill, which can be accessed at https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov, reads, “This bill would require an institution that has an exemption from either the Equity in Higher Education Act or Title IX to make specified disclosures to the institution’s current and prospective students, faculty members, and employees, and to the Student Aid Commission, concerning the institution’s basis for having the exemption.”

In attendance were individuals such as president of the college, Shirley Mullen; vice president of student life, Rob Pool; counselor, Nancy Murphy; director of the counseling center, Bill Burter; residence director of Rothenbehler  Jon Craton; former director or counseling services, Michael Lasatoria; and dean of the college, Samuel “Jack” Connell.

In addition to the vast amount of faculty and staff in attendance, there were also students present. Joshua Bergart ’19 said he went to educate himself, “It’s one of those areas that is kind of a blind spot for me, not that I don’t have certain opinions about it, but I’m kind of ignorant about what the rest of the church believes and why, so I’m curious about that.”