FIX EXCLUSIVES
Key Takeaways
- Former Calvin University professor Joe Kuilema was terminated for officiating a same-sex wedding, prompting him to file a lawsuit alleging associational and retaliatory discrimination.
- Calvin University, a private Christian institution that opposes same-sex marriage based on its doctrinal beliefs, maintains that its expectations for faculty conduct align with these religious values, asserting its right to make employment decisions consistent with its beliefs.
- The case raises significant questions about the interpretation of civil rights laws concerning associational discrimination, as Kuilema seeks clarification from the Michigan Supreme Court.
The Michigan Supreme Court will soon hear a discrimination lawsuit filed by former Calvin University professor Joe Kuilema, who was fired after officiating a same-sex wedding.
Kuilema alleges the firing constituted unlawful associational and retaliatory discrimination under Michigan’s Elliott-Larsen Civil Rights Act. He told The College Fix via email that he hopes the court will clarify that the law prohibits associational discrimination based on sex.
Calvin is a private, Christian university in Grand Rapids, Michigan that believes marriage is between one man and one woman and asks its employees to uphold these beliefs, according to its lawyers at Becket Fund for Religious Liberty.
Kuilema officiated a same-sex wedding for a former student who worked at a research center associated with Calvin in 2022. He told The Fix the wedding was non-religious, off campus, and did not involve the university at all.
A Michigan appeals court sided with Calvin University last year, The Fix previously reported. Now, Kuilema will go before the Michigan Supreme Court, though a date for oral arguments has not yet been announced, according to Calvin University Chimes.
In his email to The Fix, Kuilema referenced the 1983 U.S. Supreme Court ruling in Bob Jones University v. United States, which revoked the university’s tax-exempt status for banning interracial dating.
“They said, in part, that ‘not all burdens on religion are unconstitutional.’ This is a chance for the state of Michigan to clarify that the Elliott Larsen Civil Rights Act covers associational discrimination on the basis of sex, and that it isn’t enough for Calvin to say ‘God told us to,’” he said.
Kuilema said he was “surprised and deeply saddened” by his termination. “I loved my job, and I knew that many of my colleagues had attended, and in some cases participated in, LGBTQ+ weddings with no repercussions. That’s true of several folks who still teach at Calvin today.”
“I chose to pursue legal action because I hope that my daughters will one day live in a nation where Christianity isn’t given a blank check to discriminate in the name of God,” Kuilema told The Fix.
Around the time Kuilema left, Calvin University’s denominational affiliation, the Christian Reformed Church, formally adopted a doctrinal position opposing same-sex relationships.
“It’s important to remember that these doctrinal standards were not codified as ‘confessional’ until after Calvin chose to terminate me, and that the standards have nothing to say about civil marriage,” Kuilema said. “So to me, this has always been about discrimination, not doctrine.”
On the other hand, Calvin University spokesman John Zimmerman told The College Fix that the school allows for “diverse viewpoints,” but also has “clear expectations” for its professors.
“The Calvin University community has been well served throughout its 150-year history by having diverse viewpoints among its faculty,” Zimmerman said. “The university’s denomination, the Christian Reformed Church (CRC), has recognized and supported this diversity of viewpoints, endorsing the university’s approach to confessional commitment and academic freedom.”
“While there is room for personal disagreement with CRC doctrine, the university has clear expectations for employees regarding teaching, scholarship, and personal conduct, and follows established processes to review alleged violations of those expectations and to determine appropriate responses,” he told The Fix.
Zimmerman added that he cannot comment further on active litigation.
Alliance Defending Freedom Senior Counsel Ryan Tucker defended the university’s decision in an email to The College Fix.
“Religious organizations must be able to make employment decisions consistent with their beliefs so they can faithfully carry out their mission,” he said.
Kuilema is now a professor at Grand Valley State University’s School of Social Work. He researches “global social work, social work history, racism and white supremacy, and the intersections between faith and LGBTQ rights in society and social work education,” according to his faculty bio.
