Anti-abortion group sues UVic student union

An anti-abortion group at the University of Victoria is suing the Students' Society, claiming censorship and discrimination.

Youth Protecting Youth is an undergraduate student group that, according to its website, provides information on alternatives to abortion, which they consider immoral.

The group has filed a lawsuit in B.C. Supreme Court against the Students' Society, the body that oversees funding for student clubs.

In documents filed Monday, the group says systemic discrimination by the society led to its funding being pulled and its status as a student group being declined.

The B.C. Civil Liberties Association is seeking intervenor status in the case, despite itself being a pro-choice organization, saying it's a matter of principle.

"What a disgrace and what a failure of our educational system that a university, which is supposed to always choose free discussion over force and censorship, should tolerate such blatantly anti-democratic antics on the part of its student society," said association spokesman John Dixon.

He said the society is essentially censoring the anti-abortion club by denying it status.

According to the BCCLA, the Students' Society position is that the group's anti-abortion advocacy is a form of harassment and discriminatory against women.

No one from the Students' Society or Youth Protecting Youth could be reached for comment.