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A University of New Mexico fraternity is defending its refusal to let a freshman join because he belongs to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
Kappa Upsilon Chi says since John Bundy is LDS, he is not Christian, so he can't join their Christian fraternity. The fraternity is standing on its First Amendment rights.
Jay Wilgus, the assistant dean of students at the University of Utah and the coordinator for Greek life there said, "Student organizations, as independent groups at public universities, have the ability to select their members."
Wilgus said, "We haven't encountered the situation that they are dealing with down there. That sounds like it has become a more complicated first amendment issue."
But Wilgus says under the law, student organizations also must not discriminate, and that's what some say this so-called Christian fraternity has done.
The head of Kappa Upsilon Chi's national organization suggests Bundy start a LDS fraternity on campus.
E-mail: mrichards@ksl.com
