MADISON, Wis. (AP) – In a case closely watched in higher education, the University of Wisconsin-Madison agreed Thursday to award $250,000 in student fees next year to a Catholic group to settle its religious discrimination lawsuit.
Both the university and the UW Roman Catholic Foundation praised the agreement, which settles a federal lawsuit filed after the university refused to recognize the group despite a campus presence dating to the 1880s.
The dispute has been watched closely because it could set clearer standards on whether student fees at a public university can go to religious groups – and for what activities – without violating the constitutional separation of church and state or discriminating against religion.