Chick-fil-A is once again defending its reputation after officials at a private New Jersey university lamented its “perceived” discrimination towards the LGBTQ community.
A decision by Rider University to remove the restaurant chain from a survey of possible dining options has dredged up a 2012 debate. Students who wanted to enjoy Chick-fil-A’s popular sandwiches on campus were informed that the “company’s record [is] widely perceived to be in opposition to the LGBTQ community.”
Dan Cathy, the company’s president and CEO, is a Christian whose support for the traditional definition of marriage elicited boycotts from activists six years ago.
“Chick-fil-A is a restaurant company focused on food, service and hospitality, and our restaurants and licensed locations on college campuses welcome everyone,” a company spokesperson said in a statement released to CBS News on Monday. “We have no policy of discrimination against any group, and we do not have a political or social agenda.”
Rider University’s Center for Diversity and Inclusion is planning a forum for students and faculty members to further discuss the matter, CBS reported.
• Douglas Ernst can be reached at dernst@washingtontimes.com.
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