By J. Matt Barber
Thursday, august 31, 2006
Naperville, IL--In perhaps one of the most egregious cases of anti-Christian discrimination in america to date, the Minneapolis Police Department, at the behest of pro-homosexual activists, has suspended a "highly rated" psychologist, Dr. Michael Campion, because of his past affiliation with a Christian group, the Illinois Family Institute.
americans for Truth Corporate Outreach Director Matt Barber decried Campion's suspension as an act of "blatant, illegal discrimination and anti-Christian bigotry--one which should send shivers down the spine of every person of faith."
"What was Campion's crime? It seems that three years ago, he was a board member with the Illinois Family Institute (IFI), a Christian organization which advocates traditional family values," said Barber, who himself was fired by allstate Insurance Company last year after writing an online article critical of homosexuality.
"This official government action by the Minneapolis Police Department is a transparent and egregious violation of Dr. Campion's First amendment rights to both freedom of association and religion," Barber said.
"The message from Minneapolis is clear: The Constitution be damned! If you work for the city, and you happen to be a person of faith belonging to a church or public policy organization that advocates traditional family values, then you might as well clean out your desk now -- because as soon as we find out you're done."
The Minneapolis Star Tribune reports that despite the fact that the Minneapolis PD gave Campion "high marks" on his "general procedural goodness and specific cultural fairness" of his testing procedures; Campion was suspended soon after liberal city activists told Police Chief Don Harris about the psychologist's past IFI affiliation. (Campion, whose firm Campion, Barrow & associates is based in Champaign, Ill., sat on IFI's Board of Directors from 1998-2005.)
Sgt. John Delmonico, president of the police federation, admitted that "it never had any complaints about Campion." Despite that fact, Delmonico told the Star-Tribune "
any issues that have been raised should be looked into."
IFI reports that "this is not the first time Dr. Campion has suffered discrimination after having his character assassinated by liberal activists. Last year, the City of Springfield, Illinois, fired Campion as psychological reviewer for police and firefighter candidates after the left-leaning weekly Illinois Times ran an article about his role with Illinois Family Institute."
americans for Truth President Peter LaBarbera, who served as IFI's Executive Director when Campion stepped down from the Board, urged Christians and traditionalists everywhere to stand by Dr. Campion: "I've known Mike Campion for years and he is a man of great Christian integrity and character," said LaBarbera in his current role as IFI Policy & Media advisor. "Mike is a fair and decent man, respected by his peers, who honors the ethical standards of his profession. Now he is being smeared by pro-homosexual activists.
"The message is growing across our nation: Christians are the only group that can be discriminated against--especially if they live out their faith in the public square," LaBarbera said.
americans for Truth, based in Naperville, Illinois, is a public policy organization devoted solely to countering the homosexual activist agenda. Phone: 630-717-7626.
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