Parties Line Up on Both Sides of Cumberlands' Funding Lawsuit

At KFA we strive to provide leadership and hope for LGBT and allied people all over Kentucky. This spring brought us an opportunity to do just that, when the University of the Cumberlands expelled dean's list student Jason Johnson for mentioning his boyfriend on MySpace.com.

When the story first broke, we weren't sure what we could do in response. The University of the Cumberlands, after all, is a private institution, affiliated with the Southern Baptist convention. Regardless of what we think about their policies, they have the right to hold their student body to any standards they see fit.

However, when we learned that the state budget for 2006-2007 contained $11 million in appropriations to the university, we couldn't stifle our outrage. Those are our tax dollars, funding an institution where many of us would not be welcome? That's when you, our members and supporters, took up the fight against this indefensible and illegal use of public funds.

The Kentucky Constitution prohibits the use of tax money to fund sectarian or denominational schools. It's black-letter law. Thanks to you, television networks in Lexington and Louisville captured our Executive Director Christina Gilgor delivering hundreds of your letters to Governor Fletcher's office, demanding that he veto the allocation in accordance with his constitutional responsibility.

But despite your letters and phone calls to his office, Fletcher caved to the most extreme elements in his party. He failed to veto the $11 million for the University of the Cumberlands, while slashing millions in desperately needed funds from Kentucky's public universities.

Not only that, he asked the Franklin Circuit Court to turn its back on nearly 200 years of case law, and rule that the Cumberlands funding is allowed by the constitution.

You gave us the courage to challenge the Governor's request. As Fletcher asked the court to find in favor of the funding, KFA was there to ask the court to uphold the law and block it.

Since that initial filing in April, the roster of plaintiffs and defendants has grown. Reverend Albert Pennybacker and the Jefferson County Teacher's Association have joined the Kentucky Fairness Alliance and our Executive Director Christina Gilgor in demanding the funding be blocked.

On the other side, the University of the Cumberlands and several members of the Kentucky Legislature have joined Governor Fletcher in calling for the allocation to be upheld.

Meanwhile, our case has received national, even international attention. The Impact Fund, an organization dedicated to supporting progressives involved in public interest lawsuits, has chosen us to receive a grant to help cover the cost of our litigation.

Our members, too, have committed their moral and financial support to our cause. It's encouraging for us to see how many people believe we're doing the right thing. Every donation toward helping us win this suit says you believe in us.

Visit KFA's Get Invested pages to learn how you can support us financially. Make a single contribution using our secure online server, or become a long-term partner in our work toward a fair Kentucky as a member of Friends & Family.

Most of all, keep us in your thoughts. Whether or not Kentucky will subsidize discrimination is in the hands of the courts now. Your moral and financial support will keep us going, no matter the outcome.