At the North Carolina State University, you cannot talk about Jesus Christ and His teachings without securing the necessary permit first.
This unprecedented ban on religious speech inside a public educational institution has prompted Grace Christian Life, a registered student group at university, to file a suit against school officials.
In filing the lawsuit, the Christian students' group specifically questioned the university's Regulation 07.25.12, which "requires a permit for any form of commercial or non-commercial speech, which the policy broadly defines as any distribution of leaflets, brochures, or other written material, or oral speech to a passerby..."
In September last year, for instance, members of the Grace Christian Life were banned from approaching other students and inviting them to engage in discussions about Christ without the necessary permit.
Alliance Defending Freedom attorney Tyson Langhofer, who represents the Christian students' group in court, described the university's policy as "an amazingly broad speech restriction."
"Public universities are supposed to be the marketplace of ideas, not places where students need a permit just to exercise their constitutionally protected freedoms," Langhofer told Fox News.
He also criticised the North Carolina State University for supposedly singling out the Christian students' group.
"The University has not restricted the ability of other students and student groups to engage in expressive activity," the lawsuit stated. "Grace has witnessed other students, student groups and off-campus groups handing out literature either without a permit or outside of the area reserved by their table permit."
Fox News sought university officials' reaction to the lawsuit filed by Grace Christian Life, but they did not give a response.
Grace Christian Life President Hannalee Alrutz, meanwhile, asserted her and fellow students' right to speak about God whenever they want inside the educational institution.
"Colleges are supposed to be places where ideas are freely shared – not gagged. The only permit a student needs to speak on campus is the First Amendment," Alrutz also told Fox News.
