Chickens coming home to roost on college campus

By Joseph Harkins

ELON, N.C. -- It seems as simple as two birds of different feathers – well, opinions -- but it’s a bit more complex than extra fried or original.

Regardless, a university in the Piedmont region of the North Carolina it is waiting for the chickens to come home to roost before announcing further plans for a popular fast-food restaurant chain on the private liberal arts campus.

Dan Anderson, an Elon University spokesman and one of several vice preidents, announced that the school is creating a committee that will make recommendations to the university’s board of trustees to determine if Chick-fil-A will remain on campus or be asked to leave following a series of remarks that landed the fast-food chain in the middle of the gay marriage debate, the The Times Union reported.

Elon is emphasizing no decision has been made as to whether Chick-fil-A will remain on its campus, while at the same time announced plans for further study of the issue. Thee spokesman the university is creating a committee that will make recommendations to Elon's board of trustees.

The restaurant has come under attack since summer when Chick-fil-A President Dan Cathy took a position against gay marriage and the company’s donations that have been described as anti-gay causes.

Anderson said, there have been “many erroneous news reports” online following a vote by the Student Government Association to recommend that Chick-fil-A no longer be allowed to operate on campus.

Anderson said the university is creating a study committee to examine the broader issue of Elon’s relationships with vendors doing business on campus. That committee will make recommendations to the university’s board of trustees later this year, he said.

Anderson said the plan is for trustees to outline procedures as to Elon’s relationship with its vendors, with the university’s leadership then applying those procedures to Chick-fil-A.