The appeals court said Friday that the university engaged in “viewpoint discrimination” by  selectively enforcing policies requiring all clubs to offer equal opportunity and access to members regardless race, religion, national origin, age, gender, sexual orientation, or gender identity.

A federal appeals court has upheld a 2019 ruling against the University of Iowa, affirming that the university discriminated against a Christian club by stripping it and dozens of other religious clubs of their registered status.

A three-judge panel of the U.S. 8th Circuit Court of Appeals on Friday found that a lower federal court correctly ruled that the university can’t selectively deregister student organizations. The lawsuit was originally filed by InterVarsity Christian Fellowship after university administrators deregistered its local chapter along with a dozen other religious groups.

The university moved to deregister the groups after another faith-based group, Business Leaders in Christ, sued the university for kicking it off campus following a complaint that it wouldn’t let an openly gay member seek a leadership post.

The appeals court said Friday that the university engaged in “viewpoint discrimination” by  selectively enforcing policies requiring all clubs to offer equal opportunity and access to members regardless race, religion, national origin, age, gender, sexual orientation, or gender identity.

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