Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: WEDNESDAY, February 13, 1991 TAG: 9102130282
SECTION: VIRGINIA PAGE: B-4 EDITION: STATE
SOURCE: From Associated Press and staff reports
DATELINE: CHARLOTTESVILLE LENGTH: Medium
Larry Sabato, a government professor who helped draft and circulate a petition, said he has collected more than 300 signatures from students and employees who are against the ban.
"This is a First Amendment issue," Sabato said. "We want the university to treat all potential employers equally. The ban announced by the law school is, itself, discriminatory and arguably illegal and unconstitutional."
The law school's policy prohibits employers who discriminate against gays and lesbians from recruiting students on campus.
"For the last five or six years, the CIA and FBI have filed statements saying they will not employ gays or lesbians," said Thomas H. Jackson, dean of the law school.
If those agencies change their policies and begin employing homosexuals, they will be welcome to recruit UVa law students, he said.
The policy, announced last week, will go into effect this fall. It was created to satisfy accreditation requirements of the Association of American Law Schools and to bring law school policies in line with UVa's anti-discrimination policy.
University President John Casteen expanded the anti-discrimination policy Jan. 29 to protect gays and lesbians.
At the Washington and Lee Law School, faculty members on Monday voted to change the wording of their non-discrimination policy.
"We've always had a policy about discrimination in the placement process," said associate dean Edward Henneman. "We voted to amend that policy to include sexual orientation."
The policy goes on to say that the law school will offer facilities and services only to employers whose practices are consistent with the university's own.
He would not discuss the faculty's vote.
Virginia Tech expanded its non-discrimination policy last week to include protection for gays, lesbians and bisexuals.
But the policy, which has not yet been signed by the university president, exempts the FBI, CIA and military.
The exemption was a part of the original resolution drafted by a student senator.
Radford University changed the wording of its anti-discrimination policy last April to include homosexuals.
The agencies are still on this year's recruiting schedule.
"We don't see it as a problem," said Deborah Brown, university spokeswoman.
Sabato, however, said he believes UVa administrators are going about the problem the wrong way.
"We think the appropriate response for those who dissent with the CIA and FBI's policies is to picket those groups' recruiting sessions," he said. "We believe it is improper for the university to inhibit freedom of choice of students seeking employment."
His petition also calls for Casteen to amend the university's anti-discrimination policy to permit "legal recruitment without compromising our opposition to illegal discrimination."
by CNB