Rider University Bans Chick-Fil-A From Campus And A Dean Resigns In Protest

Last November, the president and vice president of student affairs at Rider University published an open letter saying Chick-Fil-A was removed from a survey sent to students meant to elicit feedback on options of restaurants to bring on campus.

In the letter, the school officials explained that although Chick-fil-A was included in the previous survey, the franchise was being removed as one of the options “based on the company’s record widely perceived in the opposition of the LGBTQ+ community.” Also citing that the restaurant chain’s corporate values “have not sufficiently progressed enough to align with those of Rider.” 

According to NJ.com, amid Rider University’s decision to block the franchise from coming to campus, the Dean Of Business Administration decided to resign. 

The Dean, Dr. Cynthia Newman, explained in a letter to her faculty on February 14th, that she’d resign from her role as dean and stay on as a professor starting in September. She said the school’s decision and words about the restaurant’s values clashed with her beliefs as a Christian woman. 

Chick-Fil-A’s corporate values have been seen as controversial since 2012, when their former president Dan Cathy criticized same-sex marriage, and news reports revealed that the company had donated money to organizations that opposed same-sex marriages. 

The university has maintained that their decision against Chick-Fil-A is not an attack on Christian members of the community, but instead support for the LGBTQ+ community. 

“We maintain that decision about choosing an on-campus restaurant franchise was in no way a judgment on religious values,” Kristine  Brown, the university’s associate vice president of marketing and communications, said Tuesday morning. “Rather, our intention was to foster a sense of respect and belonging of all members of the campus community, including those who identify as LGBTQ+.”

Following Rider’s November announcement, Chick-Fil-A issued a statement explaining that it doesn’t hold a political stance and that the company would leave debates about policies up to the those in the political arena.