Michigan woman can't sue campus Christian group over her firing

GRAND RAPIDS (AP) - A federal court says a Christian campus organization can't be challenged over the firing of a Grand Rapids-area woman who had a troubled marriage. The appeals court says InterVarsity Christian Fellowship/USA is protected because it qualifies as a religious group. The court last Thursday applied a major 2012 U.S. Supreme Court decision to the case. Alyce Conlon was a spiritual director in Grand Rapids for InterVarsity Christian Fellowship. She was placed on leave and subsequently fired in 2011. Conlon claimed her rights were violated because two male employees weren't disciplined despite getting divorces. The appeals court affirmed the decision of Grand Rapids federal Judge Gordon Quist. It quoted the Supreme Court, which says a "church must be free to choose those who will guide it on its way." Published: Mon, Feb 09, 2015