Mass. bar sued for gay marriage question
Do you think that, if a person finds an exam question out of line due to religious beliefs, that person should be given a different question? And how would you implement a law like this?
BOSTON – A man said he failed the Massachusetts bar exam because he refused to answer a question about gay marriage, and claims in a federal lawsuit the test violated his rights and targeted his religious beliefs.
The suit also challenges the constitutionality of same-sex marriage, which was legalized in Massachusetts in 2003.
Stephen Dunne, who is representing himself in the case and seeks $9.75 million, said the bar exam was not the place for a “morally repugnant and patently offensive” question addressing the rights of two married lesbians, their children and their property. He said he refused to answer the question because he believed it legitimized same-sex marriage and same-sex parenting, which is contrary to his moral beliefs
It seems to me that he would legally have to know about gay marriage in Mass in order to be a lawyer.
I doubt that the other 16 people in Mass. who feel the same way as he does are in a position to help him.
David Yas, editor of the MA Lawyers Weekly, and Lee Swislo, executive director with the Gay and Lesbian Advocates and Defenders, are right. Stephen Dunn failed to understand the law he is trying to apply here. He obviously missed a lot of other questions if he thinks this one made him fail the test. I’m sure there are a lot of people out there who came this close and failed the test. That’s the chance he took when he refused to answer the question.
This guy’s an idiot. Lawyers practice ‘Law’…not ‘Law, minus what I don’t believe in’…
I love that the crybabies up here are the bigots who can’t accept the fact that they lost the chance to get gay marriage on the ballot. Their side lost votes over time, and it had to do with state reps and senators seeing for themselves that gay marriage had no negative impact on the community.
Those who think otherwise are also the type to ask “how high” when the government says “jump becaue you’re AFRAID”…
I’m pretty damned proud to be from Massachusetts…if you can’t tell
I wonder how he feels about divorce?
Good Point!
I think the real question here is not the morality of the question so much as the legality of the test violating his rights and targeting his religious beliefs. I hope he wins.