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Professor Fired After Allegedly Forcing Christian Students to Fund Political Activism

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Two Michigan State University students are suing the school claiming their professor forced them to pay fees to advance political messages that conflicted with their deeply held religious beliefs.

The Alliance Defending Freedom (ADF) is representing sophomore students Nathan Barbieri and Nolan Radomski.

Earlier this spring, Barbieri and Radomski enrolled in Amy Wisner's "Business Communication" class, which is a required course for them to complete their undergraduate business degree.

Under the course's syllabus, Wisner required her 600 students to purchase a membership to her "The Rebellion Community." 

 

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As the syllabus explained, "The Rebellion Community… is a global social learning community with a private space dedicated to this course."

Students were told that the $99 subscription fee would pay for the use of the online platform and pay guest speakers, educators, and facilitators, but that the professor didn't receive any financial compensation. 

But the lawsuit notes that Wisner personally operated the site and used the funds–nearly $60,000 each time she taught the course–to engage in political speech and donate membership fees to Planned Parenthood.

"My money is in the hands of Planned Parenthood," Barbieri told Fox News. "For me, as a Christian, it's our calling. We're supposed to expose the bad things that happen and not just sit back and… be abused. That's our job."

Wisner's Facebook page said "100% of membership fees are donated to Planned Parenthood" and that it supported other entities "dismantling oppressive systems."

Barbieri and Rodamski said she also used the funds to purchase an RV to "engage in policy advocacy that [engage] do not wish to support."

"University professors can't force students to finance and support political advocacy groups that express messages they disagree with. Nathan and Nolan simply want to get a business degree without being compelled to pay membership fees that will be donated to Planned Parenthood or support speech that directly contradicts their religious beliefs," said ADF Legal Counsel Logan Spena. 

He continued, "Michigan State officials have violated the First Amendment and federal civil rights laws by authorizing professors to force students to support speech antithetical to their deepest values and faith."

MSU told CBN News Wisner is no longer employed by the university and stated they could not comment on the pending litigation.

The university has also refunded each student their portion of the contribution sent to the "The Rebellion Community."

Barbieri says that isn't enough. 

"I funded that. And until that money is brought back, until it is out of (the professor's) hands, it's still with Planned Parenthood, or it's still being going towards an unethical organization," he said. 

"I hold true to my Christian beliefs," Barbieri continued. "[My faith] really pushed me to get out there and do something about it, because I knew if I didn't, you know, and if nobody else did, what stops this from happening again and again."

Spena told Fox the lawsuit could bring about policy change at the university. 

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"What Professor Wisner did here was completely out of the ordinary. She basically fabricated a requirement, put it on the syllabus to join this website, which had nothing to do with the course, and she could have used the free platform that the university provides, which every other professor uses," ADF counsel said.

 "And then to do that solely so she could fund her own political activism," And so not only did she use this as her own ideological mechanism to force the students to listen to her activism, but then she forced them to fund her outside activism and kind of double down on that," Spena said. "And I think that's a problem. And public universities just can't allow that to happen."

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About The Author

Talia
Wise

Talia Wise has served as a multi-media producer for CBNNews.com, CBN Newswatch, The Prayer Link, and CBN News social media outlets. Prior to joining CBN News she worked for Fox Sports Florida producing and reporting. Talia earned a master’s degree in journalism from Regent University and a bachelor's degree from the University of Virginia.