Controversy surrounding Chick-Fil-A heats up on campus
LAWRENCE - KU students aren't taking the Chick-Fil-A controversy lightly. Last month, the president of the fast-food chain took a public position against same-sex marriage. University officials say three petitions are circulating around campus. Over 2,000 signatures have been signed, and all those people wanting the restaurant that sits on the hill to be shut down. But shutting down a business isn't easy, and university officials say it'll take a lot more than a few petitions to make their wish come true.
"It's all a corporation agreement, not a university agreement,” says KU’s Director of Public Affairs, Mike Reid. “With Chick-Fil-A , we have an agreement to operate a franchise on campus, and that goes through 2014.”
But this debate goes beyond the university and its students. Kansas Congressman Tim Huelskamp spoke out stating his stance on the issue. He wrote a letter to Chancellor Bernadette Gray-Little asking her to keep Chick-Fil-A on campus. The Chancellor's office declined to comment on the letter.
Reid says although he expects the issue to heat up even more when school starts, he doesn't plan on students causing controversy inside the building. University administrators will bring up the issue at their fall corporation board meeting this month. They say they want to get feedback from board members on how to proceed with the issue.