Chris Lange, FISM News

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An attorney for the former dean of a Christian university in California said that his client was wrongfully terminated and discriminated against over his unbiblical views on marriage and sexuality.

Mark Maddix, the former dean of the School of Theology and Christian Ministry at Point Loma Nazarene University (PLNU) in San Diego, and his counsel, Josh Gruenberg, said that they are considering legal action against the school.

“We believe that the termination was illegal, and we intend to enforce his rights under California law,” Gruenberg recently told The Christian Post. 

Maddix was reportedly dismissed from his position at the Nazare-affiliated university on March 15 by Provost and Chief Academic Officer Kerry Fulcher.

While neither Maddix, his counsel, nor PLNU has shared specific details about what led to his separation from the school. The Loma LGBTQIA+ Alumni & Allies Coalition, however, alleged in a statement that it stemmed from the former dean’s defense of former adjunct professor and ex-minister, Melissa Tucker, whom the group claims was dismissed at the beginning of the year due to her “affirmation of the LGBTQ+ community.” 

The group claimed that Maddix was fired less than a month after he challenged Fulcher’s decision in an email sent to the faculty of the School of Theology and Christian Ministry. The Loma Coalition claimed that Maddix “was fired for insubordination for ‘disclosing information about an employee to other employees.’” 

PLNU Communications Director Flora Fleming recently told The Christian Post in a statement that Maddix’s dismissal “was not based on anything related to the LGBTQIA+ community,” but declined to go into details about the case due to the threat of pending litigation.

The school’s Christian beliefs and corporate policies are outlined in a covenant that includes an affirmation of Biblical teachings on marriage and sexuality.

Tucker argued that she did not violate the requirement to “respect and support” the covenant because she did not share her views in class. She claimed the PLNU discriminated against her when they “blocked” her from teaching at the university due to her beliefs.