Counseling Student Refuses to Take Gay Sensitivity Training

An Augusta State University graduate student in the counseling program has sued the university claiming their “remediation” plan exposing her to the gay community violates her civil rights. According to CNN, Jennifer Keeton has expressed her Christian views on homosexuality both inside and outside the classroom and ASU has promised to expel her if she doesn’t complete sensitivity training that includes increased written and organizational skills to help her become a, ”multiculturally competent counselor, particularly in regard to working with gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender and queer/questioning populations,” reports CNN. Keeton is being backed by the Alliance Defense Fund and says, “I want to stay in the school counseling program, [but] I can’t honestly complete the remediation program knowing I would have to alter by beliefs. I’m not willing to — and I know I can’t — change my biblical views.” The Alliance Defense Fund says her free speech is being violated. But correct me if I’m wrong, I though a counseling session was an opportunity to vent your concerns with a licensed professional not someone who feels the need to tell you their beliefs and their opinion and refuses to acknowledge your concerns based on their moral issues. For its part, the univeristy also said in a statement a, ”professional counselor’s job is to help clients clarify their current feelings and behaviors and to help them reach the goals that they have determined for themselves, not to dictate what those goals should be, what morals they should possess, or what values they should adopt.” Amen! I think Ms. Keeton is confused. Counseling is not the ministry. If she has such strongly held moral beliefs that homosesuality can’t even be spoken to her in a clinical setting, then she needs to hop on over to the theology program where her specific skill set is needed. No one is asking her to stop being a Chrisitian. They’re asking her to start listening and being a counselor. Isn’t that what Jesus would do?