A Christian student organization has filed a federal lawsuit against Penn State President Graham Spanier and Vice President for Student Affairs Vicky Triponey, alleging the university's non-discrimination clause interferes with the organization's ability to choose appropriate officers.

University officials say the group has misinterpreted the meaning of the policy.

DiscipleMakers Christian Fellowship filed the suit last Friday, and it appeared on the docket at the U.S. District Court in Harrisburg on Tuesday.

"DiscipleMakers requires that their officers adhere to a statement of faith ... and live consistent with that statement faith," said Tim Tracey, an attorney for the Center for Law and Religious Freedom, who is representing the group.

Tracey said the university's non-discrimination policy applies to the selection of group leaders and officers. He said the suit is filed against Spanier and Triponey in their official capacities.

But Penn State spokesman Tysen Kendig said the policy is aimed at general membership and does not apply to the selection of group officers.

"This is an unfounded lawsuit because we have never tried, and have no intention of trying, to interfere with the selection of officers," he said. "The university's commitment to non-discrimination does not infringe on any religious organization's ability to practice its beliefs."

The policy states, "No organization shall obtain or maintain University registration which discriminates on the basis of ...religious creed, ... sexual orientation ... with respect to its membership, programming or operations."

Michelle Dripps, president of DiscipleMakers, said the group only wants officers who uphold the beliefs of the group as a whole.

"If there was a feminist group on campus, they wouldn't be want a male chauvinist as an officer," she said.

Dripps said the group holds officers accountable to Christian values, which she said are based on a literal interpretation of the Bible.

"We also believe ... sex before marriage is wrong, and we wouldn't want people who do that sort of thing being officers, either."

University spokesman Bill Mahon said the university told DiscipleMakers in writing that its policy is not intended to affect officer designation.

"We told them last week that we would not interfere with the selection of a group's officers," he said. "If they don't believe it, I'm not sure what else we can do to make them believe it."

The university issued a press release Tuesday on Penn State Live to address the matter. Mahon said the release was sent to 57,000 students via e-mail.

"Penn State has reaffirmed the autonomy of the DiscipleMakers ... to freely choose their officers in accordance with their own criteria and consistent with their religious beliefs," the statement said.

It did not mention the lawsuit. Neither Mahon nor Kendig had received a copy of the lawsuit yesterday.

DiscipleMakers threatened a lawsuit earlier this year when it was denied registered group status by the university. At the time, Penn State did not allow organizations to become registered if they did not serve a unique purpose.

When the uniqueness clause was eliminated in August, the group announced it would not pursue its lawsuit.

Triponey declined comment, and Spanier could not be reached late yesterday afternoon.