Dr. Gregory Geoffroy
President
Iowa State University
Ames IA 50011

May 23, 2007

Dear Dr. Geoffroy,

The Freedom From Religion Foundation is a national organization that works to keep government and religion separate. On behalf of our many Iowa members who pay taxes to support Iowa State University, and agreeing with the ISU faculty who have formally protested, we object to the proposal by ISU Head Football Coach Gene Chizik and ISU Director of Athletics Jaime Pollard to institute a chaplaincy for ISU sports. Such an action is unconstitutional under state and federal law. An official football chaplain at a public university is a state action "respecting an establishment of religion."

The suggestion that the chaplain would be paid by an "outside agency" makes it an even worse violation than if the job were paid as a state employee. It is the official position and the school endorsement that causes the violation, not the source of the salary. If the action is wrong if paid for with university money (which it certainly is, else Chizik and Pollard would have no hesitation in requesting such funding), then it is more wrong if paid for by private funds: it puts control of a university position into the hands of an outside religious group, such as the Fellowship of Christian Athletes or Athletes in Action or a local church with a sectarian agenda.

The Iowa Constitution mandates that "No religious test shall be required as a qualification for any office or public trust." (Bill of Rights, Article I, Section 4) It appears that the proposed chaplain (like the de facto chaplain who has been traveling with the teams for a decade) would represent only Christianity, and likely only a subset of traditional or conservative Christians, which amounts to a religious test for public office. In the public process to obtain an ISU Sports Chaplain, are applications being sought or accepted from imams, rabbis, Native American spiritualists, Hindu monks, secular humanist counselors or atheist psychologists?

Historically, the United States has allowed for chaplains in the military, but only as a passive accommodation for those who have been taken away from their homes and have no access to private, personal religious counseling. Ames, Iowa, is not a wilderness. There are many churches, synagogues, ministries and other places of worship accessible to a football player who wants prayer or "spiritual" counseling. Those religious organizations are free to advertise their services to any ISU student who feels such a need. The university must remain neutral, neither endorsing nor discouraging such activities.

We would like your assurance that the chaplaincy program will not be implemented. May we hear from you soon on this matter?

Dan Barker, co-President
Freedom From Religion Foundation, Inc.