Summary
Badger Catholic was the largest Catholic student group at the University of Wisconsin. Like many student groups, it regularly receive funding from mandatory student fees, until the university decided that it would no longer fund any activity that included prayer, worship, and proselytizing.
To be the largest and most effective Catholic student group at the University of Wisconsin, you need a lot of programs and events. Badger Catholic offered students exactly that—weekly meetings, counseling, retreats, and university-wide events. Many student groups at the university applied for funding from the mandatory student fee fund. Of course, many liberal groups received funding without any problem. And Badger Catholic did too—for a time.
Then one year, the university decided that it would no longer allow Badger Catholic to use the mandatory student fees for any activity that included prayer, worship, or proselytizing. That effectively defunded all of Badger Catholic’s programs.
Badger Catholic contacted Alliance Defending Freedom for help and protection from the university’s religious discrimination. Alliance Defending Freedom filed a lawsuit on behalf of Badger Catholic and fought to secure multiple court orders telling the university to stop its discrimination. But the university continued to fight and appealed the rulings against it all the way to the United States Supreme Court. Thankfully, the high court declined to take the case, which preserved the victories Alliance Defending Freedom had won for Badger Catholic and ensured that all students will have equal access to mandatory student fees in the future.
What's at stake
The right of students to engage in worship on campus.
The right of students to have equal access to mandatory student fees.
Our role in this case
Alliance Defending Freedom represented Badger Catholic in a lawsuit against the University of Wisconsin, and defended its right to equal access to mandatory student fees. Alliance Defending Freedom continues to fight for the rights of many student groups like Badger Catholic so that they can participate equally in the marketplace of ideas.
Press Releases
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September 16th, 2011Illegal badgering of Christian groups proves costly to UW-Madison
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March 7th, 2011Victory for Catholic student group: U.S. Supreme Court says no to U. of Wis. appeal
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September 1st, 20107th Circuit: U. of Wis.-Madison cannot deny funding to Catholic student group -
January 18th, 2008Court grants ADF motion to stop UW-Madison from discriminating against student religious club
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December 11th, 2007ADF attorneys ask court to stop UW-Madison officials from discriminating against student religious clubs
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September 10th, 2007ADF attorneys file suit to stop U. of Wis.-Madison from violating settlement agreement
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May 3rd, 2007U. of Wisc. agrees to recognize and fund Roman Catholic student group as it does other groups
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March 9th, 2007Judge halts enforcement of U. of Wisconsin’s discriminatory actions against Roman Catholic group
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November 9th, 2006ADF files lawsuit to stop ongoing attacks on religious groups at the University of Wisconsin
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March 3rd, 2006ADF steps in after atheist entity challenges status of collegiate Catholic group
Case Documents
Case Profiles
