University Settles With Expelled Counseling Student Julea Ward

Eastern Michigan University will pay $75,000 to counseling student Julea Ward, who was expelled from university for refusing to provide services to gay and lesbian clients.

Ward, who filed the lawsuit in April 2009 with the assistance of the Alliance Defense Fund, was training to become a counselor for children in grades K-12. She was released from the program after she said she did not want to counsel a gay client because her religious beliefs. The university says she was expelled for not following the American Counseling Association's code of ethics.

Walter Kraft, EMU’s vice president for communications announced that it would be less costly to the state to settle out of court, rather than to go to trial, according to the Detroit Free Press.