WILLIAMSPORT, Pa. — James Pursley says he is a “proud alumnus of Penn State University” and a “devout Christian” who wants to memorialize pride in his alma mater by buying a brick on the Alumni Walk.
Pursley, of Chicago, wants his name, year of graduation and “Joshua 24:15” (not the full verse) inscribed on the brick he has tried since April to buy for $250.
Pursley says the university rejected the inscription as offensive and offered a refund or the opportunity to change the message.
The 2001 graduate in management services and information systems rejected the offers and filed a civil rights suit in U.S. Middle District Court, calling the university’s action “a blatant case of content viewpoint discrimination against religious speech in a public forum.”
The alumni association tells those who want to buy bricks on the walk that it has the right to deny any application. Purchasers are told inscriptions may not contain commercial messages or company names.
“Discriminatory or inappropriate” references to “age, ancestry, color, disability or handicap, national origin, race, religious creed, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or veteran status” are also barred.
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