Seattle Pacific, a private Christian university nestled next to the Ship Canal, has been subject to over four years of legal battles related to its controversial hiring policy and Statement on Human Sexuality.
In January of 2021, Prof. Jéaux Rinedahl sued the university for discrimination after being denied a full-time position because he was Gay. This sparked conversations on campus in relation to the university's hiring policy, its connection with the Free Methodist Church, and what being a truly ecumenical religious university means.
Staff and faculty drafted what they called a "Letter of Lament" in response to the hiring policies being enforced, which gained over a thousand signatures by February of the same year. Emily Huff, director of field placements and clinical faculty in the School of Education at SPU, was one of the faculty members who wrote the letter.
"The letter came from a group of caring and committed faculty and staff who wanted to highlight the pain that SPU's discriminatory hiring policy caused (and continues to cause), and we were able to collect and present over 1,400 signatures in support of it," Huff said.
The original group that wrote the Letter of Lament formed the group Affirm, a group of staff, faculty, and alumni dedicated to supporting LGBTQIA+ students.
Daniel Mercado was a freshman entering university the academic year after the Rinedahl lawsuit was filed, and quickly became involved after learning what was happening on campus. A senior now, Mercado has seen the controversy play out in person.
"I went to a private Christian high school, so I was kind of used to this whole not-really-affirming-but-not-really-outwardly-hating Gay people," Mercado said. "The board didn't like Gay people, but the students didn't care. I didn't know the same issues were happening at SPU. I was just going in blind."
Within weeks however, groups on campus made it known that Queer people on campus were fighting a larger battle, planting hundreds of Pride flags around campus and decorating sidewalks with chalk messages voicing their displeasure. Protests of all sorts were held throughout the year, raising awareness and providing a community to the campus's Queer students.
Seattle Pacific ended up settling the Rinedahl lawsuit out of court, a decision that was disappointing to some on campus but did nothing to halt the momentum students had gained. They were now fighting for the rights of any future Queer person that wanted to work there.
Protests and lawsuits
In early 2022, SPU created a work group of staff, faculty, and board members to create a plan of action addressing the Statement on Human Sexuality and hiring policies, then present it to the board of trustees to vote on. The group created what they called "the Third Way," which removed the ban on same-sex sexual relationships but still held that sexual relationships should be within the confines of marriage.
However, the board decided to keep the Statement on Human Sexuality, despite protests. As a result, students organized a sit-in outside of the president's office, which was then occupied by Interim President Pete Menjares. For over a month, students slept, ate, and worked on the floor outside his office, hosting events in the evening and taking shifts during the day so that everyone could continue attending classes.
"I remember one of the students who was organizing the protest was like, 'Hey, I remember you and I remember your poster said, "I'm not a monster," and I just want to tell you, you are not a monster, you're not an aberration, you're exactly how God made you to be and we want you here,'" Mercado said. "[The sit-in was] really accepting, loving, welcoming, and just radical love that is expected in any sort of Christian community and hoped to be seen, and I saw that in SPU's Gay community."
The protests sparked national media attention, which prompted Washington Attorney General Bob Ferguson to investigate the university's hiring policies. As a result, the university filed a lawsuit against the attorney general for religious persecution, and a group of students sued the board of trustees for breach of fiduciary duties.
In July of 2023, the students who sued the board were forced to settle out of court, due to rising legal costs. As students entered another year at SPU, the university began to crack down on protests, prohibiting flags and pro-Queer posters from being displayed.
Quieter now
Currently, campus is much quieter than the early years of the protest. M, who has requested their name not be used, for safety reasons, is a member of Haven, SPU's LGBTQIA+ group, and has noticed that many students have become less outspoken and more fearful of retaliation by the school.
"I think since the lawsuits have been pulled back and those who were suing the board have gone quiet or graduated, there's been someĀ
relaxation going on. [At Haven] we can't talk politics there. We can't talk SPU politics there, and they've made sure to drill that into our heads," M said.
Faculty have also felt the change in momentum lately.
"Many faculty and staff who were central to some of these early efforts have left SPU amidst the budget cuts, and the group is very small now," Huff said. "While the administration has made it clear that policies will not change, the group now focuses on supporting student-led efforts to protect an inclusive and supportive space for LGBTQIA+ students."
In 2023, Deana Porterfield became president at SPU, which many students hoped would lead to more change. However, while some conversations are happening on campus, Dr. Porterfield seems to be prioritizing repairing the university's image.
"She doesn't want there to be any press for SPU, so we don't mention the lawsuit," M said. "We had Redacted Fest last year- We weren't allowed to say 'Pride Fest' so we [used] Redacted Fest, and she was not happy about that. We used to have a Lavender Graduation to celebrate Queer and allied students, but we can't call it a graduation anymore, because that implies that we are treating a certain set of students differently, so now it's just Lavender Celebration."
Where things stand
Throughout the lawsuits and protests, SPU has also been dealing with significant financial troubles, due to a general decline in university admissions and in part the negative news attention the university garnered over the last few years. As a result, many majors have been cut, and a 40% cut to faculty and staff has been implemented.
"My major is discontinued," Mercado said. "The class right beneath me, they are the last people to graduate with a major in theater until the foreseeable future. All but two of our professors have been let go. We're not fully gone just yet, but because of the board's decisions, it has directly impacted the quality of my education, the access I have to other professors, and some of the knowledge and resources that I would otherwise be able to get if we still had half the professors here."
As SPU tries to rebuild its image as a leading Christian university, Queer students are left to figure out on their own where they fit into the story. For many students, being Queer and Christian is not a contradiction, despite the decisions of the board of trustees.
"This was one of the first times I really experienced having friends who are also openly Queer alongside me and also openly Christian too. We learned together," Mercado said. "My theology has gone from one of self-hatred to self-love, and I think that's really beautiful and I hope that that continues to be a theology that's taught at SPU."
Despite setbacks, students, staff and faculty have been working hard to make the environment one where Queer students feel accepted.
"Kerri Cline was an outstanding [alumna] who spoke at our Lavender Celebration two years ago, and she said something that I will never forget," Huff said. "Having graduated in 2008, she never imagined that something like Lavender Celebration would be possible, as she was in the closet as a student when she was at SPU. During her remarks, she offered this simple praise and gratitude to them: 'You are my dream come true.'"
Currently, Seattle Pacific University v. Robert Ferguson is still being contested in court, but the university shows no signs of changing its policies anytime soon.
"I hope that SPU continues to be a place where Queer people are accepted," Mercado said. "I hope that SPU can learn from its mistakes and change for the better, but I don't think I'll see it in my time here, and I don't think I'll see it for quite some time."
Seattle Pacific University declined to comment.
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