Supreme Court Upholds College Military Recruiting Law
WASHINGTON
The U.S. Supreme Court has ruled unanimously that colleges that accept federal money must allow military recruiters on campus, despite some universities’ objections to the Pentagon’s “don’t ask, don’t tell” policy on homosexuals in the military.
Justices rejected a free-speech challenge from law schools and their professors who claimed they should not be forced to associate with military recruiters or promote their campus appearances.
Chief Justice John Roberts, writing for the court, said the campus visits are an effective military recruiting tool.
“A military recruiter’s mere presence on campus does not violate a law school’s right to associate, regardless of how repugnant the law school considers the recruiter’s message. “The [law] neither limits what law schools may say nor requires them to say anything,” he wrote.
Law schools had become the latest battleground over the “don’t ask, don’t tell” policy allowing gay men and women to serve in the military only if they keep their sexual orientation to themselves.
Many universities forbid the participation of recruiters from public agencies and private companies that have discriminatory policies.
