If you are going to restrict what the RA's do behind closed doors in their own rooms by calling them employees, then they had better not be working on political campaigns, discussing religion on the phone with family members etc. Basically, anything that the president of the university couldn't do in a room full of reporters would be off limits.
I think the distinction you are missing is that being an RA is not a full time job, and I think most people would agree that what an RA does with other consenting adults, on his or her own time, in his own living room, should be no concern of the university.
"If you are going to restrict what the RA's do behind closed doors in their own rooms"
I'm not going to do any such thing. I don't work at a university. I have nothing to do with any such rules.
I was complaining about a misleading headline. As far as I'm concerned, RAs should be able to lead whatever kind of studies they like. At least someone would be studying something in the dorm...a rare activity.
I would have to assume that a Bible study group doesn't spontaneously form in the RA's dorm room one evening. There would have to be some discussion, planning, inviting people to join. So that stretches the definition of "behind closed doors." If the RA recruited students in his dorm to join a political campaign or held political events in the dorm he supervises, and the university chose to prohibit that, I'd have no problem with that, either.
If I were in charge of such things, I would strongly discourage my RAs from doing anything that muddies the relationship with the students under their supervision -- dating, recruiting for any club or cause, asking for donations for charity, anything. I would also discourage them from putting any political signs or bumper stickers on the doors of their rooms. RAs are supposed to be a buddy and not a house mom, so that line is blurry, and it's more of a guideline than a rule.
If he's discussing religion on the phone with family members behind, as you say, closed doors, no one would know or care unless he's really, really yelling. And if he's loud enough on the phone to bother his neighbors through a closed door, he probably has other issues that would prevent him from being a good RA.