Scholar Boycotts Conference at Brigham Young U

A well-known sociologist is boycotting a scholarly meeting at Brigham Young University based on the institution’s policy regarding students who enroll as Mormons but change their beliefs while on campus.  Mark Juergensmeyer, a professor of sociology and director of the Orfalea Center for Global and International Studies at the University of California at Santa Barbara, wrote chose not participate in the conference in an act of conscience over BYU’s policy of expelling any Mormon student who leaves the faith or converts to another religion.