Brandon Jenkins sues Maryland college for discrimmination, he mentioned ‘God’

A Maryland man is suing the Community College of Baltimore County (CCBC) for a first amendment violation after the school allegedly rejected him he disclosed his faith in God. The remark was made during the admissions process and then was denied enrollment, Monday’s report explain.

Woodcut for “Die Bibel in Bildern”, 1860. by
Julius Schnorr von Carolsfeld

Brandon Jenkins claims that during a Spring 2013 admission’s interview, a CCBC staff member asked, “What is the most important thing to you?” Jenkins answered, “My God.” (Emphasis added, The Dispatch)

According to his lawsuit, filed by the American Center for Law and Justice (ACLJ), the program’s director Adrienne Doughtery later told him that his answer didn’t help his application. She noted there was also more qualified applicants.

“This field is not the place for religion,” she allegedly said, and advised him against emphasizing religion in future applications because school patients come from various faiths.

“We have many patients who come to us for treatment from many different religions and some who believe in nothing. If you interview in the future, you may want to leave your thoughts and beliefs out of the interview process.”

A senior counsel at ACLJ tells the Christian Post that Jenkins’ rejection is “every bit as unlawful as singling out his race, or singling out his gender,” but a school spokeswoman denies the accusations, the Baltimore Sun reports.

A letter from the school’s attorney, included in the lawsuit, says Jenkins’ comment about God “was not a good answer” because the school seeks people driven by a “passion in the field.”

The ACLJ claims that Dougherty also told Jenkins that his 3.2 GPA was lower than other potential students and that a 10-year-old criminal charge on Jenkins’s record could make it difficult to find a job in this field.