After nearly five years of lawsuits, UW-Madison will pay approximately $500,000 in taxpayers' money to Badger Catholic, after denying the group funding for religious practices including prayer and worship practices in 2007.
The lawsuit began after UW-Madison withheld a portion of the $253,000 reimbursement requested by Badger Catholic, then known as the Roman Catholic Foundation.
In 2010, the 7th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals ruled the university violated the group's First Amendment right to free speech.
The UW-Madison System Board of Regents asked the U.S. Supreme Court to review the ruling, arguing that a public university should not be required to provide funds specifically for religious worship activities, but the request was denied.
Nico Fassino, president of Badger Catholic said he is relieved that the final chapter of the lawsuit has ended.
""The payment is not the issue; I'm just relieved that this has finally come to a close and that this is resolved in a way that really affirmed Badger Catholic's original position,"" Fassino said.
The Supreme Court declared funding for religious groups like Badger Catholic is not a violation of the separation of church and state, which according to Fassino is the ""greatest affirmation"" of Badger Catholic's case.
""It was never about receiving compensation,"" Fassino said, but added it was the outcome for which the group hoped.
Fassino said the ruling will not only allow Badger Catholic to continue performing services on campus, but will allow religious student organizations across the U.S. to deepen their level of services provided to students.
