Campus preaching, Christian foster care: 4 cases that the US Supreme Court may impact in 2021

By Michael Gryboski, Mainline Church Editor Friday, January 08, 2021

Uzuegbunam v. Preczewski

Chike Uzuegbunam is a former student at Georgia Gwinnett College who in 2016 was stopped from sharing his faith on campus. | YouTube/Alliance Defending Freedom

The Supreme Court will hear oral arguments on Jan. 12 in the case of Uzuegbunam v. Preczewski, which is centered on George Gwinnett College’s treatment of Christian student Chike Uzuegbunam for his evangelism efforts.

Gwinnett had previously punished Uzuegbunam for preaching outside of an on-campus free speech zone, prompting the student to file a lawsuit against the college.

Although Gwinnett changed their policy on free speech and expression since then, it refused to accept any penalties for its past actions, prompting the current litigation.

Uzuegbunam is being represented by the conservative law firm Alliance Defending Freedom, while also getting support from liberal groups like the American Humanist Association.

“On the chopping block is a time-honored remedy essential to vindicating the most important rights in our country. Religious freedom—the cornerstone of our democracy—could become an empty promise without nominal damages,” read the summary of the AHA brief.

“Religion Clause violations rarely produce actual damages and often stem from easily-mootable laws. Taking away from citizens the only remedy available in many such cases jeopardizes the rule of law itself.”