Court Backs Campus Military Recruiters

S F Chron ^ | March 6, 2006 | GINA HOLLAND,

[radar101]

The Supreme Court ruled unanimously Monday that colleges that accept federal money must allow military recruiters on campus, despite university objections to the Pentagon's "don't ask, don't tell" policy on gays.

Justices rejected a free-speech challenge from law school professors who claimed they should not be forced to associate with military recruiters or promote their campus appearances.

Chief Justice John Roberts wrote the decision, which was unanimous.

Law schools had become the latest battleground over the "don't ask, don't tell" policy allowing gay men and women to serve in the military only if they keep their sexual orientation to themselves.

Roberts, writing his third decision since joining the court, said there are other less drastic options to protest the policy.

"A military recruiter's mere presence on campus does not violate a law school's right to associate, regardless of how repugnant the law school considers the recruiter's message," he wrote.

The federal law, known as the Solomon Amendment after its first congressional sponsor, mandates that universities give the military the same access as other recruiters or forfeit federal money.

College leaders have said they could not afford to lose federal help, some $35 billion a year.

[JohnLongIsland]

i can't wait to read the liberal blogs on this one, they must be going out of their minds calling for the immediate expulsion of SCOTUS to club gitmo.

[muawiyah]

One does hope the appropriate bureaucrats have been ready at the switch to pull the funds today.

[Steve_Seattle]

A 9-0 decision. Will we now be seeing newspaper headlines denouncing the schools for their contempt for the law, as we do on the (rare) occasions when the courts disagree with Bush? I doubt it.

[JohnnyZ]

College leaders have said they could not afford to lose federal help, some $35 billion a year.....

..... plus the whole national defense thing, don't think they're really prepared to go without!

[jazusamo]

A good day for America and our military. Now if the elitist colleges and their administrations truly believe in barring military recruiters, they can do so at the cost of federal aid. I wonder how many will bar them?

[Proud_USA_Republican]

I can hear the tears falling in SF over this one.

[geezerwheezer]

I reckon it's "back to the law books" for these schools that said no to the Military recruiters. Too bad the law schools don't understand the meaning of the laws, and the intent of the same. Waste of taxpayers' monies when these clowns claim something that isn't there to promote their own anti-American sentiments and prejudices.

[Netheron]

Actually, it was an 8-0 decision, since Alito was not on the court yet. It might as well be a 9-0 decision, though.

[stumpy]

Well if the colleges have to let the recruiters in, so do the high schools who receive federal money. That will drive the voters of san francisco even more bonkers than they already are.

[jmaroneps37]

*" Ha ha!"

*The Great Nelson Mundt.

[N. Theknow]

I can hear the tears falling in SF over this one.

Now someone needs to sue the City of SF for their actions regarding the military. Wonder how much $$$$$ SF gets in Fed funds?

[chesley]

C'mon. Liberal have the strongest, staunchest, truest principles of anyone on the planet. As long as the money does not come out of their own pockets.

[Piranha]

Maybe mandatory availability of ROTC will be next!

[rhema]