University settles with student who wouldn't counsel gays

[pstokely]

Source: KMBC

Missouri State University has agreed to pay $25,000 to a former student who sued after he was removed from a counseling program because he wouldn't counsel gay couples.

The Springfield News-Leader reports (http://sgfnow.co/2i9UoQJ ) the settlement with Andrew Cash was final last month. The newspaper reported the details after submitting an open records request.

Cash sued the university in April, saying he was removed from the university's master's counseling program in 2014 after he said his religious beliefs prevented him from counseling gay couples.

The $25,000 is the estimated cost for Cash to obtain a master's degree at another university.

Read more: http://www.kmbc.com/article/university-settles-with-student-who-wouldnt-counsel-gays/8578816

[snort]

1. Hate pays cash

[sarcasmo]

5. Sure does, Ask Beck, Rush, Hannity, Loofah, and Alex Jones.

[pstokely]

8. taxpayer cash in this case

nt

[PoindexterOglethorpe]

2. I'm not sure what I think about this.

Other than the settlement to give him enough money to get the master's degree elsewhere seems like the right thing to do.

Any number of questions come to my mind: should the program have made it crystal clear that counseling gay couples was a requirement? What if a white person didn't want to counsel African-American or Japanese-American couples? Or couples where they were of different races? What if someone in the program didn't want to counsel Jewish couples? Or Catholic couples?

Where should the line be drawn about who, or what kind of people you must be willing to serve and those you don't have to?

I suppose in private practice the counselor can be as picky as he wants to about who he'll see.

And let me express this another way: I would not want to be counseled by someone who disapproved of my situation in life, be it my religion, my political outlook, my sexual orientation, or anything else that he didn't approve of or was made uncomfortable by. Even with the best of will and intention, that counselor probably couldn't help me very much.

In a related matter, there have been several instances of bakeries refusing to bake a cake for a gay marriage. While I'm inclined to think the bakery ought not to be able to turn down the order, I also don't think I'd want them baking for my gay marriage.

[Crash2Parties]

3. Should've just flunked them out. Being nondiscriminatory *is* part of being a counseling psych.

From the APA:

Attitudes Toward Homosexuality and Bisexuality

Guideline 1. Psychologists strive to understand the effects of stigma (i.e., prejudice, discrimination, and violence) and its various contextual manifestations in the lives of lesbian, gay, and bisexual people.

Guideline 2. Psychologists understand that lesbian, gay, and bisexual orientations are not mental illnesses.

Guideline 3. Psychologists understand that same-sex attractions, feelings, and behavior are normal variants of human sexuality and that efforts to change sexual orientation have not been shown to be effective or safe.

Guideline 4. Psychologists are encouraged to recognize how their attitudes and knowledge about lesbian, gay, and bisexual issues may be relevant to assessment and treatment and seek consultation or make appropriate referrals when indicated.

Guideline 5. Psychologists strive to recognize the unique experiences of bisexual individuals.

Guideline 6. Psychologists strive to distinguish issues of sexual orientation from those of gender identity when working with lesbian, gay, and bisexual clients.

Relationships and Families

Guideline 7. Psychologists strive to be knowledgeable about and respect the importance of lesbian, gay, and bisexual relationships.

Guideline 8. Psychologists strive to understand the experiences and challenges faced by lesbian, gay, and bisexual parents.

Guideline 9. Psychologists recognize that the families of lesbian, gay, and bisexual people may include people who are not legally or biologically related.

Guideline 10. Psychologists strive to understand the ways in which a person's lesbian, gay, or bisexual orientation may have an impact on his or her family of origin and the relationship with that family of origin.

Issues of Diversity

Guideline 11. Psychologists strive to recognize the challenges related to multiple and often conflicting norms, values, and beliefs faced by lesbian, gay, and bisexual members of racial and ethnic minority groups.

Guideline 12. Psychologists are encouraged to consider the influences of religion and spirituality in the lives of lesbian, gay, and bisexual persons.

Guideline 13. Psychologists strive to recognize cohort and age differences among lesbian, gay, and bisexual individuals.

Guideline 14. Psychologists strive to understand the unique problems and risks that exist for lesbian, gay, and bisexual youth.

Guideline 15. Psychologists are encouraged to recognize the particular challenges that lesbian, gay, and bisexual individuals with physical, sensory, and cognitive-emotional disabilities experience.

Guideline 16. Psychologists strive to understand the impact of HIV/AIDS on the lives of lesbian, gay, and bisexual individuals and communities.

Economic and Workplace Issues

Guideline 17. Psychologists are encouraged to consider the impact of socioeconomic status on the psychological well being of lesbian, gay, and bisexual clients.

Guideline 18. Psychologists strive to understand the unique workplace issues that exist for lesbian, gay, and bisexual individuals.

Education and Training

Guideline 19. Psychologists strive to include lesbian, gay, and bisexual issues in professional education and training.

Guideline 20. Psychologists are encouraged to increase their knowledge and understanding of homosexuality and bisexuality through continuing education, training, supervision, and consultation.

Research

Guideline 21. In the use and dissemination of research on sexual orientation and related issues, psychologists strive to represent results fully and accurately and to be mindful of the potential misuse or misrepresentation of research findings.

[PoindexterOglethorpe]

6. Thank you for that information.

But in the real world, there are an awful lot of people out there who don't get any of this. They think that being gay or bisexual is an illness that can be treated. They think their God tells them that such people are inferior and can/should be discriminated against. Don't get me wrong. I'm not defending such people. But I think we need to get a handle on them, on where they come from, on what their reality is.

One part of me says to go ahead and let them discriminate, but do it openly so that if I'm a gay person I won't try to enlist them for counseling. Another part says, WTF??? If you are trying to help people then you must try to help EVERYONE.

There's no simple answer. But I'm inclined to think that MSU made a pretty good choice: booted this person out of the program, gave them the money to get a degree somewhere else, and said, Good Luck.

[YOHABLO]

4. Obviously the student's plan is to work as a counselor in a ministry.

Why go to a secular State University to do counseling for a faith based program? I wouldn't have paid. Probably too much pressure from the religious community. And they're so so so discriminated against

[pstokely]

7. maybe that was the point of the fundie student, to claim persecution

Last edited Tue Jan 10, 2017, 10:28 AM - Edit history (1)

and got they paid off with taxpayer $$$, (S)MSU is also located heavily fundie Southwest MO and probably has higher fundie student population, Southwest MO is also quite a few fundie bible colleges that might has counseling programs

[Coventina]

9. Colleges and universities are being intentionally targeted with this kind of stuff by RW groups.

They are trying to ruin the reputation of higher learning, particularly at public community colleges and universities.

They want to convince the public that they are nothing but hotbeds of "librul indoctrination" that don't deserve funding.

[pstokely]

10. they want their own "safe spaces" on college campuses

couldn't this fundie snowflake find a counseling program at a bible college?