Suit dropped over gay-related bar exam question

A Boston man who claimed he failed the Massachusetts bar exam because of his refusal to answer a question about same-sex marriage has dropped his case in federal court.

Stephen Dunne, a graduate of the New England School of Law, called for the question not to be counted toward his score and for it to never be placed on future tests. He said the question violated his Irish Catholic beliefs and First Amendment rights, according to the Boston Herald.

Dunne said he would not pursue the suit because a subsequent exam did not include what he called the "patently offensive and morally repugnant" same-sex marriage question. According to the Herald, he characterized that as a corrective action by the board.

The exam question read: "Yesterday, Jane got drunk and hit (her spouse) Mary with a baseball bat, breaking Mary's leg, when she learned that Mary was having an affair with Lisa. As a result, Mary decided to end her marriage with Jane in order to live in her house with (children) Philip (and) Charles and Lisa. What are the rights of Mary and Jane?"

An attorney representing the Massachusetts bar said that the bar will not strike questions pertaining to same-sex marriage, which is legal in the state, on future exams. (The Advocate)