—Bob Jones University in Greenville, South Carolina, has announced it will arrest homosexual graduates who set foot on campus. In October, alumnus Wayne Mouritzen, a 60-year-old retired pastor, received a letter from the fundamentalist school’s dean of students saying “as long as you are living as a homosexual, you, of course, would not be welcome on the campus and would be arrested for trespassing if you did visit.” The ban does not apply to the campus art museum, which could lose its tax-exempt status for such action. The Internal Revenue Service revoked the university’s tax-exempt status in 1970 because of its ban on interracial dating.
—Norma McCorvey, the “Jane Roe” of the 1973 Supreme Court decision Roe v. Wade that legalized abortion, has become a Roman Catholic. McCorvey, 51, was confirmed at a parish near her Dallas home in August. She earlier crossed over to the pro-life cause and was baptized by Operation Rescue director Flip Benham (CT, Sept. 11, 1995, p. 70), then joined the speaking circuit (CT, June 17, 1996, p. 62).
—Even though the U.S. Supreme Court struck down a Colorado constitutional amendment curbing homosexual rights (CT, June 17, 1996, p. 68), justices in October let stand a Cincinnati law barring special preferences and protections for homosexuals. Lawyers defending the city say the court’s move should encourage other municipalities to pass similar legislation. Cincinnati voters approved an amendment to the city’s charter in 1993 and a federal appeals court upheld it in 1995. The Supreme Court indicated that the Cincinnati amendment differs from the Colorado law in that it prevents homosexuals from obtaining special employment and housing privileges.
—National Friends Insurance Trust and Village Missions are to receive more than $7 million in restitution under a plea bargain with Terril Beebe, a staff member with Harmon and Associates in Camano, Washington. Beebe, 41, pleaded guilty in September to conspiracy to commit mail fraud, wire fraud, and embezzlement from a health-care benefit program. Beebe is the son-in-law of Philip Harmon, who is serving an eight-year federal prison term for conspiracy and tax fraud (CT, July 13, 1998, p. 24).
—Elizabeth O’Connor, 77, died October 17 in Washington, D.C. She wrote several influential books on church renewal and community service, including Call to Commitment and Journey Inward, Journey Outward.
—God’s Property, a Dallas-based choir, is suing gospel star Kirk Franklin and B-Rite Music for an “onerous and one-sided” contract Franklin allegedly persuaded choir founder Linda Searight to sign. The choir is also suing the Los Angeles record company to recoup royalties from sales of God’s Property from Kirk Franklin’s Nu Nation. The 1997 album sold 2.7 million copies worldwide to become the highest-charting gospel album in history.
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