The University of Missouri agreed that a church bulletin discount offered as part of a volleyball ticket promotion was inappropriate, after receiving an Oct. 16 letter of complaint from the Freedom From Religion Foundation.
A university employee informed FFRF that the University of Missouri volleyball team offered free admission to its Sept. 28 game to anyone with a church bulletin. as part of āFaith and Family Day.ā
FFRF Staff Attorney Elizabeth Cavell wrote to the universityās athletics department to inform it that the discount violated the federal Civil Rights Act, as well as a similar Missouri statute, which provides that everyone has the right to full and equal enjoyment of places of āpublic accommodation,ā including sports arenas. āThe University of Missouriās restrictive promotional practice favors religious customers, and denies nonbelievers and other customers who do not attend church the right to āfull and equalā enjoyment of the arena,ā wrote Cavell.
Cavell also pointed out that since the university is a public institution, the discount and the āFaith and Family Dayā raises Establishment Clause concerns as well.
Director of Athletics Michael F. Alden responded promptly the next day, informing FFRF that the discount was ānot consistent with our departmentās practices and that we stopped the promotion from being carried out as described in the materials.ā