ERIC Number: ED208700
Record Type: Non-Journal
Publication Date: 1979
Pages: 24
Abstractor: N/A
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: N/A
EISSN: N/A
Florian Frederick Chess, et al., vs. Gary E. Widmar, et al., Defendants. Memorandum Opinion and Order. In the United States District Court for the Western District of Missouri, Western Division.
The memorandum opinion and order in the Chess vs. Widmar case is presented in which 11 students at the University of Missouri-Kansas City allege that university officials refused to allow the students (part of a religious group called Cornerstone) to conduct their regular religious services in university-owned buildings. The students contended that the university's refusal to permit their group to use university facilities violated their rights guaranteed by the first and fourteenth amendments to the U.S. Constitution. Facts in dispute included that Cornerstone is an officially recognized student organization, that the persons named as plaintiffs were enrolled students at the university, and that Cornerstone's application for use of university facilities was rejected by the university. The Court found the plaintiffs' argument vague and therefore ordered that the plaintiffs' motion for summary judgment be denied. In denying the plaintiffs' request, the Court held that the university's regulations have been appropriately interpreted to deny the use of university buildings for those services and there is no evidence that the plaintiffs have been denied any request granted to other religious groups on campus. (LC)
Publication Type: Legal/Legislative/Regulatory Materials
Education Level: N/A
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A