The president of Oklahoma’s East Central University has issued a statement saying the university acted hastily in taking down Christian symbols in their chapel after receiving complaints from a secular group.
Heatstreet reports that Americans United for Separation of Church and State sent a letter to the university calling for them to remove the Christian symbols.
“These displays include Latin crosses on the top of and inside the building, Bibles, and a Christian altar. While it is legal for a public university to have a space that can be used by students for religious worship so long as that space is not dedicated solely to that purpose, it is a violation of the Establishment Clause of the First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution to display religious iconography on government property. Please remove or cover the religious displays and items,” read the letter.
The Christian items were subsequently removed from the chapel.
Now, however, President Katricia Pierson says university management regret their hasty decision.
“We regret not taking time to pause and thoughtfully consider the request and the results of our actions on all of the students, faculty and community members who we serve,” said a statement from Pierson.
“ECU is committed to diversity and welcomes different perspectives. This is an opportunity to have a thoughtful dialogue,” the statement continued.
The university is reportedly assembling a committee that will decide whether Christian symbols and items are allowed within the campus chapel.
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Publication date: July 5, 2017
