For decades, we’ve heard academics extol the virtues of “coexistence” and the dangers of discrimination.

But emails unearthed during our depositions and testimony in court in our case against the State of Maine’s University of Maine System (UMS) reveal that these academics really only want others to acquiesce to their own ideals, and that all others — especially religious people — must be discriminated against.

The State of Maine is trying to discriminate against our client, Calvary Chapel, again, simply because some people in Maine don’t believe Christians should have equal rights.

Help us END discrimination against Christians and churches by supporting our legal fund today, and a special Challenge Grant will DOUBLE your impact.

When the University of Maine System decided to sell excess property, they put a building up for sale to the highest-scoring bidder.

Calvary Chapel Belfast, which had been renting the facility, submitted the highest scoring bid, earning the right to buy the property fair and square by the rules the university had established.

But when the university's anti-Christian academic and donor class learned that a church had won the bid, they began demanding that the university discriminate against the winner, revoking the church’s winning status simply and only because they are a Christian church:

"As a member of the University community, I am appalled and horrified that you would sell a valuable Mid-Coast property to a group that espouses beliefs completely antithetical to our system mission. This is the only time in my two decades teaching for UMS that I have been ashamed to be a Black Bear," wrote one U Maine academic.

“As the former assistant director, I was very disappointed with the prospect of a Christian Nationalist group setting up a foundational school in the area,” wrote another. “It would be a disgrace for the FHC to end up as a conduit for this kind of ideology.”

“I taught classes at the Hutchinson Center for the College Connection Program. I have a master's degree from the University of Maine System. My parents both graduated from U Maine. I am astounded that the University would consider selling the Hutchinson Center to this church,” wrote another.

“The views held by this organization are antithetical to all humanists. In fact, they consider humanism to be Satanism. Look at their website. Your board must be completely out of touch. We will be directing our lawyer to remove the University from our will and hope that you will come to your senses?"

Yet another retired U Maine professor wrote, “It is very difficult to reconcile the sale of the Hutchinson Center to an organization that actively and publicly discredits science,” referring to Calvary Chapel’s Bible-based belief that God created male and female.

Each and every one of these academics insisted that University of Maine System should openly discriminate against the winning bidder simply because the winner was a church.

STOP Maine’s continued attacks on Calvary Churches!

A representative from the Maine state legislature, Stanley Paige Zeigler, even got in on the discrimination, threatening to stop legislative support of the university unless it discriminated against the church, because Zeigler believes that “a private religious school appears counterintuitive to the support of public education.”

When the university caved to its academic anti-freedom cabal, revoking Calvary’s winning bid, they broke the law.

The University of Maine System engaged in discriminatory actions against Calvary Chapel Belfast. The church participated in the bidding processes in good faith, but the university unlawfully rescinded the church’s winning bid over its religious beliefs under the excuse of procedural deficiencies. Such discrimination is unlawful and may end up being a costly mistake for the University of Maine System.

Liberty Counsel is pleased to represent our friends at Calvary Chapel once again. Since the COVID shutdowns when we sued ME Gov. Janet Mills for discriminating against Calvary, the Pine Tree State’s woke government has continued to target Calvary for destruction.

YOU are the only reason Calvary Chapel is able to defend itself against Maine’s attempts to eradicate Christianity from the public square. We never charge our clients because we know that few could afford to defend themselves against the endless resources of a government gone wrong. Instead, our clients rely on YOU, the faithful Liberty Counsel supporter, to ensure justice is done and religious liberty lives another day.

For over 35 years, Liberty Counsel has been defending life, religious freedom, and the natural family. We’ve won 37 cases before the U.S. Supreme Court and thousands of others before state courts and the U.S. Courts of Appeal.

Because of our diligence and success, a generous supporter has established a special Challenge Grant to support our work. But that grant only kicks in when you do. Every donation made to our legal fund today will be DOUBLED in impact. Even recurring monthly donations will be doubled for the duration of the grant! Please, help us defend the faith with your generous gift today.

Mat Staver
Founder and Chairman
Liberty Counsel

Source:

“U. Of Maine System Testimony Reveals Religious Discrimination.” Liberty Counsel, April 1, 2025. Lc.org/newsroom/details/040125-u-of-maine-system-testimony-reveals-religious-discrimination.