On Sept. 26, the 7th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals dismissed charges this week that Carl Sandburg College, primarily based in Galesburg, Ill., violated the constitutional rights of a part-time cosmetology instructor who was told to stop talking to students about her pro-Christian and anti-gay beliefs.
The court dismissed the lawsuit filed by Martha Louise Piggee regarding events that took place in September 2002, when Piggee gave Jason Ruel—a gay Jewish student—two pamphlets that said homosexuality was sinful and instructed readers to worship with Christians, read the Bible and be baptized, according to The Register-Mail.
Ruel filed a formal complaint, and a committee of college officials believed the incident constituted sexual harassment. Piggee then sued the college, the board of trustees and five college administrators, claiming the college violated her due process and free-speech rights.