Local Human Relations Chairman Under Investigation for Discrimination

We’ve seen it for several years now. In our society, it’s never ok to say a negative word against Islam or Muslims, Hinduism or Hindus, Buddhism or Buddhists, the Feminist Movement or Feminists, Atheism or Atheists, the Homosexual movement or LGBTs, and if you do, you are called a hater, a bigot, a racist, or a homophobe. But should you speak a negative word about the Holy Bible, the Gospel, Christians or Jesus Christ, your opinion is not only acceptable, it’s celebrated. Mockery of Christians and Christ, Himself is so widespread, many Christians live in fear of the public reaction if they were to publicly proclaim what the Word of God says even though it is our responsibility to carry out the Great Commission. Most Christians forego the Commission, and lower their voice to a mere whisper if they speak the name of Jesus in public at all.

Christians in Christian businesses are forced to do things that violate their conscience and their religion with the threat of being sued for everything they have, while all of society is forced to appease the beliefs and conscience of LGBT groups, Atheists, Feminists, and Muslims. The double-standard is radical, unconstitutional, and discriminatory.

This self-same discriminatory double-standard against a Christian has been taking place right here at the Methodist-founded University of Evansville for the entirety of the 2019 Spring Semester. A student who, at this time wishes to remain anonymous, enrolled in a ministry/religion internship. Part of the internship involved putting into practice the very teachings of the course. The pre-approved practice the student chose was “Open Air Preaching” about the love of Jesus Christ and the gospel message of salvation.

But, at every turn, the staff, the security, the administration, the students, and the professors complained about his message. They repeatedly asked him to move to different places or change his method. He repeatedly complied. They complained about his volume, but never measured the legalities with a decibel reader. They called the police on him, even though he was perfectly within his rights.

He stood in what the campus calls a “Free Speech Zone” proclaiming his message, but no matter what he did to comply with the University requests, they still threatened disciplinary action.

He wasn’t mean or hateful. He wasn’t accusatory or self-righteous. He wasn’t arrogant or prideful. He merely preached the gospel, humbly, lovingly, and with a smile on his face. When people yelled at him in opposition, he simply told them, “Jesus loves you, and I do too.”

Some of the staff knew that they would violate his rights if they spoke out against his message, so they attacked his method. Others didn’t care, and openly attacked his message. One professor even told the student that he was presently teaching a class specifically against Christianity.

Meanwhile, LGBT students who opposed his message were vocal about their beliefs in the same area of the campus, and a self-proclaimed Satanist was vocal about his beliefs in the same area of campus. Neither of these students were reprimanded, threatened with disciplinary action, or threatened to lose course credits for using their Freedom of Speech, but the Christian was.

In the midst of all of this, one professor stood outside of the “Free Speech Zone” and openly used his Freedom of Speech by repeatedly giving the Christian student the middle finger, effectively telling the Christian student, “F#@% You,” while several witnesses watched. That professor was none other than the Chairman of the Evansville Human Relations Commission, Dr. Robert Dion.

Dr. Dion was informed by one University staff member to give the student a written apology… but months passed… the semester ended… and he did no such thing… and the University did absolutely nothing about it. Even given the opportunity to apologize to the student face-to-face when the student greeted him kindly in front of witnesses, Dr. Dion refused to speak a word.

According to the University’s website, evansville.edu, “Robert Dion firmly believes that citizens need to understand and be involved in the political system. He has taught American politics courses at the University of Evansville since 2001. Before he came to the University of Evansville, he taught at the Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs at Syracuse University and at Wabash College. Outside the classroom, Professor Dion serves as the chairperson of the local civil rights commission and on the boards of several organizations. He is regularly quoted in news stories about political developments in Indiana or in the United States, and he has appeared frequently on radio and television news programs, including several French-language broadcast outlets.”

According to instonewall.com, “Dr. Robert Dion is the chair of the Department of Law, Politics, and Society at the University of Evansville. He is a founding board member of the Indiana Stonewall Democrats. For over a dozen years, he has chaired the Evansville-Vanderburgh County Human Relations Commission, and he has twice been selected to serve on the Indiana State Advisory Committee to the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights. He is faculty adviser to the College Democrats on his campus, a longtime precinct committeeperson, and has been a frequent delegate to party conventions. His dissertation focused on the politics of the debate over gays in the military.”

But what do all of these titles and accolades mean if the one person in the city who should know better than anyone else to not discriminate against someone doesn’t practice what he preaches, and doesn’t truly stand for the moral responsibilities of his position? Seriously Evansville, is this the best we’ve got? Someone who will stand for the rights of every people group, but openly opposes Christians? How is this acceptable? How is this even legal? And why does he even still have a position at the University and within the city government? I’ll tell you why, it’s the radical “Social Justice Movement” which is Anti-Christian in nature… which stands for every politically-left leaning ideology, while attacking the right-wing ideologies… in the name of equality.

This mindset, agenda, and attack is becoming more and more common for “social justice warriors” like Dr. Robert Dion to champion civil rights for the ultra-progressive groups, while adamantly opposing the constitutionally-protected civil rights of conservatives… and especially Christians.

LGBT groups, Muslims, Atheists, Socialists, Feminists, extreme and even moderate Democrats are celebrated by self-proclaimed civil rights activists, but the Anti-Christian sentiment is beginning to run rampant in the social culture of the day. While mainstream media barks social justice, inclusion, diversity, and equality for all of those on the left side of the aisle, the civil rights of conservatives and Christians are daily trampled, ignored, opposed, and butchered in the double-standard displayed by Dr. Dion and those who agree with him. This is not equality. Let’s call it like it is. This is hate… in the name of equality.

Anti-Christian hatred is nothing less than religious discrimination. Robert Dion, the head of the local civil rights commission, should know better… in fact he does know better, but since the student is a Christian, Dion’s hatred for Christians seems to have overtaken his equality and social justice façade.

At the end of the semester, since the school did nothing to remedy the discrimination situation, the student filed grievance with the school, against each staff member who discriminated against him and violated his rights. He also filed grievance with the Evansville Human Relations Commission.

Dr. Robert Dion and the University of Evansville is now under investigation for religious discrimination by the Indiana Civil Rights Commission in Indianapolis. The VIP will keep you updated on the progress of this case.