Chick-Fil-A Not Welcome At Kansas University, Faculty Members Cite ‘Mental Well Being’ Of Students

A handful of faculty members at Kansas University are upset with the school’s administration’s decision to move a Chick-fil-A location from a remote corner of campus to a more prominent location, as well as for sponsoring the coin toss before football games, Joplin, Missouri’s KODE-TV reports.

The Sexuality & Gender Diversity Faculty and Staff Council at the university sent school officials a two-page letter outlining their “extreme frustration” at how the school’s bosses have handled Chick-fil-A.

First, they expressed regret at the fact that the university moved the on-campus Chick-fil-A location from a basement to “prime real estate” at the school’s Memorial Union.

Second, they’re upset that the school’s leadership allows the fast-food restaurant to sponsor the “Chick-fil-A Coin Toss” before Jayhawks’ home football games.

“The culture of Chick-fil-A fosters hate and discrimination on multiple levels. [University officials are] more concerned about money and corporate sponsorship than the physical, emotional, and mental well being of marginalized and LGBTQ people.”

The committee was referencing Chick-fil-A’s history when it comes to LGBTQ issues. Specifically, as previously reported by The Inquisitr, the fast-food provider was thrust into a cultural debate in June 2012, when it was revealed that COO Dan Cathy had made some anti-LGBTQ statements. Following those statements, it was revealed that Cathy had, through the company’s charitable foundation, donated money to several anti-LGBTQ causes.

Bringin’ out the big guns #ChickenSandwichWars #ChickfilA #Popeyes #PopeyesVsChickFilA pic.twitter.com/GbQdbeEw77

— jennah (@Jensisko) August 26, 2019

The company promised to stop donating money to such causes shortly afterwards, but in March of this year, an analysis of the foundation’s donations deemed that the company was still donating to organizations with anti-LGBTQ beliefs.

In fact, the company’s anti-LGBTQ activities have kept the chain from opening locations here and there. For example, according to a March report in The Inquisitr, officials in San Antonio wrote language into the city’s airport’s contract with its concessions provider that kept Chick-Fil-A out of the city’s International Airport. Just a couple of weeks later, as USA Today reported at the time, Buffalo, New York followed in San Antonio’s footsteps, blocking the chain from opening in the city’s airport.

Back at Kansas University, Katie Batza, an associate professor of women and gender studies, lamented that the committee’s letter was “falling on deaf ears.”

However, KU Interim Provost Carl Lejuez said in an email that, moving forward, the university should “have thoughtful discussion and deliberation when we enter into contracts” and that, in the future, negotiations with businesses that want to open up on-campus will be conducted in a way that is transparent and “informed by our commitment to affirm diversity and to be a welcoming and inclusive campus.”