Chick-fil-A scheduled to reopen after Fall Break

“I’m hoping that the reopening of Chick-fil-A isn’t the reopening of last year’s problems,” said junior Devon Gailey. “If people want to abstain from eating there, good. If they want to grab a chicken sandwich, good. But since it’s clear that the restaurant is not leaving, the best thing both parties can do now is be mature about their viewpoints and move on.”

Chick-fil-A’s presence at Elon became a divisive issue in September 2012 when Spectrum, Elon’s queer-straight alliance, drafted legislation calling for the restaurant’s removal. Spectrum did not take issue with Chick-fil-A COO Dan Cathy’s support for “the biblical definition of a family unit,” but rather the franchise’s donations to organizations such as the Family Research Council and Exodus International through WinShape, its charitable arm.

The Student Government Association first voted on the legislation Oct. 12, 2012.

“These groups cause direct harm to LGBTQ people and contribute to an environment that is unhealthy, discriminatory, hostile and offensive to the entire LGBTQ community,” said Lauren Clapp ‘13, then an advocacy and education chair for Spectrum, during an SGA open forum prior to the vote. “Exodus International is an advocate of conversion therapy, despite the fact that is has been denounced by at least 15 reputable medical societies.”

The legislation against Chick-fil-A passed in the SGA Senate that night in a 35-11 vote, but Darien Flowers ‘13, then SGA Executive President, vetoed the bill Oct. 21.

“We are here to permit the free flowing exchange of ideas,” Flowers said in a statement. “If we ask the administration to remove an institution because of its ideas, we are setting a precedent that is dangerous because it stops the free flow of ideas.”

The SGA Senate voted 21-20 to uphold Flowers’ veto Oct. 24, following a day of protests on campus. Several students organized “Chick-fil-A Appreciation Day” to show support for the veto, while other students gathered to oppose those who patronized the restaurant.

“There are people who have been saying, ‘I don’t have any problem with the LGBTQ community, I just really like this chicken sandwich,’” said Kirsten Ringelberg, associate professor of art history and former LGBTQ office coordinator, on the day of the protests. “I think if you can say that when you know how much our students, faculty and staff have been hurt by the symbolic representation of Chick-fil-A on campus, then it is not entirely honest to say that you care about us.”

In recognition of the tensions caused by Chick-fil-A, the university appointed a 15-member Vendor Policy Study Committee to investigate the issue and recommend an appropriate course of action to Elon’s Board of Trustees.

“This doesn’t mean we’re going to start running every business relationship by this committee,” said President Leo Lambert at the time of the announcement. “The university already has several processes or screens in place to ensure we behave as a responsible enterprise, but there are exceptional times when someone says ‘I’m concerned about this,’ and there needs to be a process by which that concern would be evaluated.”

As the committee began to form, Spectrum redrafted and resubmitted legislation to the SGA as a resolution, rather than a bill. A bill encourages a specific course of action, while a resolution is an affirmation of a belief or sentiment.

The revised resolution asserted Chick-fil-A had become a “symbol on Elon’s campus of intolerance and discrimination towards members of the LGBTQIA community” and opposed the continuation of Elon’s relationship with the franchise.

“We still want Chick-fil-A off campus, but the way we are going about it is no longer the financial argument, but rather the climate that has been created because of this controversy,” said Emily Kane ‘13, an advocacy and education chair for Spectrum, at the time of the proposal.

The revised legislation passed in a 30-8-2 vote Nov. 30, signaling a win for Spectrum and others after nearly two months of controversy. But the Board of Trustees was ultimately assigned to make the final decision.

After considering the findings and recommendations of the Vendor Policy Study Committee, Elon University’s Board of Trustees determined there was no actionable cause to remove Chick-fil-A from campus and voted to continue the university’s partnership with the franchise.

“The Board is reluctant to put the University in a position of monitoring or making value judgments about the lawful philanthropic giving of vendors or related organizations, board members, alumni, faculty and staff, students or friends,” said a statement issued by the Board. “Removing Chick-fil-A solely on the basis of the owners’ stated views or their lawful philanthropic choices would stand in opposition to Elon’s mission statement, which encourages freedom of thought and liberty of conscience.”

After the decision was released, President Leo Lambert and SGA Executive President Welsford Bishopric issued a statement that called upon Elon community members to further commit themselves to engaging in civil discussion about potentially divisive issues.

“Ultimately, I’m incredibly proud of the level of discourse we were able to have about this issue, and this is the conclusion to all those deliberations,” Bishopric said. “It is necessary that we continue to support each so that the presence of Chick-fil-A doesn’t make someone uncomfortable. I would hope that if anyone is still upset or concerned about this, they’ll reach out to me or other SGA representatives.”

SGA Senior Class Treasurer Patrick Brown, who often encouraged students to look at the issue from a business perspective during last semester’s open forums, said he is pleased with the adminstration’s decision.

“I know I and other students are looking forward to having the new Chick-fil-A open and having another great retail option on campus,” he said.