Civil Rights — religious discrimination

U.S. Court of Appeals for the 7th Circuit

Civil

Civil Rights — religious discrimination

Where a religious organization had a long history of lenience towards underage drinking, a university’s severing ties with the organization was not the result of discrimination.

“As is apparent from the Klein video that we cited at the outset of this opinion, Rabbi Klein is lively, engaging, eminently approachable, enthusiastic, and one might even say charismatic. Were he more responsible concerning underage and excessive drinking by the kids who frequent the Chabad house, the university would have maintained its affiliation with the house. Klein says that the university should have told him to exercise closer supervision over alcohol consumption at the house, as a condition for retaining the affiliation, and that had the university done this he would have complied. In other words, he wants a second chance. But he admits that he never asked for that second chance. He had gotten away for more than a quarter of a century with an irresponsible attitude toward excessive underage drinking that went on under his nose in the Chabad house, and seems to have thought that he could continue to do so, with impunity, indefinitely. He was given multiple chances. He was warned repeatedly, but did not react. Why should he be given fourth and fifth and nth chances? Had he stepped forward on his own initiative and promised to mend his ways, the Tannenbaum Chabad House might still be a Northwestern University affiliate.”

Affirmed.

14-1055 Lubavitch-Chabad of Illinois, Inc., v. Northwestern University

Appeal from the United States District Court for the Northern District of Illinois, Darrah, J., Posner, J.