Carleton pro-life club to sue students’ union

Alexandra Posadzki
CUP Ontario Bureau Chief
TORONTO (CUP) – Carleton University’s pro-life club will take its students’ union to court if the union doesn’t reverse its decision to revoke the group’s club status.
Albertos Polizogopoulos, the lawyer representing the club, Carleton Lifeline, confirmed Nov. 21 that he would take legal action against the union if they do not re-certify the club. Losing their certification means Carleton Lifeline will not be able to apply for funding or to book student space through CUSA.
The union made the decision to deny Carleton Lifeline recertification on the basis that the club’s constitution violates the students’ union’s “discrimination on campus policy.”
The policy states that Carleton University Students’ Association (CUSA) will “respect and affirm a woman’s right to choose her options in case of pregnancy.”
It goes on to state that “actions such as any campaign, distribution, solicitation, lobbying, effort, display, event, etc. that seeks to limit or remove a woman’s right to choose her options in the case of pregnancy will not be supported” and that “no CUSA resources, space, recognition or funding will be allocated for the purpose of pro- moting these actions.”
In a letter dated Nov. 11, CUSA’s vice-president internal affairs, invited Carleton Lifeline to amend their constitution to respect CUSA’s policy by Nov. 18 in order to regain their certification.
Ruth Lobo, president of Carleton Lifeline, said the union’s decision is discriminatory and a blow to free speech.
“CUSA’s constitution says they will not discriminate against students for political ideologies and that’s exactly what they’re doing,” said Lobo. “I think it’s kind of ludicrous that I have to give money to a student union that discriminates against me,” she added. “CUSA should be representing all students fairly, regardless of political ideologies.”
Alex Sirois, union president, said CUSA believes they were upholding the Clubs and Societies by-laws and the anti-discrimination policy in their decision, but they are unable to comment further until the legal issues are resolved.
CUSA’s decision comes on the heels of the recent arrests of Lobo and four other students for atTempting to put up a controversial pro-life display featuring graphic images of aborted fetuses on campus.
Polizogopoulos believes that CUSA’s decision stems from those earlier arrests. He points to the fact that Carleton Lifeline has been certified since the winter of 2007, and has applied for and received funding and recertification every year since.
The club has not changed their constitution or their position on abortion since, which raises the issue of why CUSA would choose now to decertify the club, he said.
Polizogopoulos said CUSA tried to deny Carleton Lifeline club status back in 2006 for the same reason, but after public outcry from students and other organizations, the club was certified and has successfully remained a club since then.
He believes the issue is a text-book definition of differential treatment.
“CUSA has labeled itself as a pro-choice organization, and is shutting down groups that are pro-life, that disagree with the position that CUSA has taken,” he said.
“So they are effectively treating pro-life students and pro-life student clubs differently than they’re treating pro-choice students.”