Seven higher education organizations have urged the U.S. Supreme Court to hear a case involving UW-Madison and its refusal to fund activities for the Badger Catholic group on campus.
The American Council on Education, along with the six other organizations, filed a brief asking the Court to hear the case in which the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit ruled in favor of Badger Catholic.
The appeals court voted 2-1 in a September 2010, ruling the university could not refuse funding to the student organization.
Badger Catholic President Nico Fassino said he thinks the decision will be echoed by the Supreme Court, should it hear the case.
""I'm confident that our position would be upheld because the past two court rulings have been in Badger Catholic's favor,"" Fassino said.
The education organizations argue a public university should not be required to provide funds specifically for religious worship activities, but Fassino said such funding would not violate separation of church and state based on past court rulings.
""There's been a great deal of national precedent that the 7th District Court Judge outlined in his statement when he gave the ruling,"" Fassino said.
The brief cites different university handbooks from around the country, some that do provide such funding, and others that do not, as examples that each individual university may make funding decisions on religious worship issues.
The brief also argued UW-Madison funded 86 percent of Badger Catholic's requests during the 2007-'08 school year, and therefore the university is not trying to drown out any religious activity.
During the case, the relationship between the university and Badger Catholic has remained stable, according to Fassino.
""The university has continued to fund Badger Catholic,"" Fassino said.
Fassino said more funding would benefit students involved in faith-based organizations around campus.
""I think the students themselves would find their participation in these groups much more meaningful,"" Fassino said.
