DUELING COLUMN: FIU Should Not Associate With Chick-fil-A’s Hateful Politics

William Jennings Sadler/Contributing Writer

Despite questionable business practices and a knack for funding human rights injustices, FIU has once again decided to collaborate with Chick-fil-A. 

Back in April, the University announced that a Chick-fil-A Express would be available as a dining option on the Biscayne Bay Campus in the fall. Personally, Chick-fil-A has never been a dining “solution” so much as it’s been a dining compromise; the company’s foul philanthropy efforts underscore that notion.

Yet, what I find more alarming is that the University seems to be unconcerned with the implications of their effective endorsement of the fast-food chain. 

Since the restaurant’s inception, it has been notoriously funneling millions of dollars into unapologetically homophobic charities. The company’s 2017 tax filings reveal that the Chick-fil-A Foundation donated over $1.8 million to anti-LGBTQIA+ organizations like the Salvation Army and the Fellowship of Christian Athletes. These donations indicate an increase from the previous year. 

Everything about this business partnership is ironic. FIU constantly boasts about its commitment to diversity and inclusivity. The ‘Vision and Mission’ tab on their official website lists “respect for diversity and the dignity of the individual” as one of their most important values.

Yet, they are actively endorsing corporate interests that fund right-wing hate groups. The very values that the University established are not echoed in their own actions; which demonstrates that FIU is, at best, out of touch.  

My concern has less to do with Chick-fil-A and more with what forms of intolerance and discrimination this University is willing to deal with and even finance. FIU is thrusting its student body into a situation where tuition dollars are used to fund resources that see this project through. This is a major concern for students and faculty at FIU, especially those who identify as a part of the LGBTQIA+ community.

Many other institutions have had similar concerns regarding Chick-fil-A’s business practices and have consequently refused to partner with the fast-food chain. In March of this year, the San Antonio City Council refused to approve an airport concessions plan that included a Chick-fil-A. 

“With this decision, the City Council reaffirmed the work our city has done to become a champion of equality and inclusion. San Antonio is a city full of compassion, and we do not have room in our public facilities for a business with a legacy of anti-LGBTQ behavior,” said Roberto Treviño, a San Antonio city councilman.

I’m not arguing about whether or not FIU can partner with the fast food restaurant; I am arguing about whether or not it should. This University has ultimately taken its side, but their actions are not going unnoticed. 

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The opinions presented within this page do not represent the views of PantherNOW Editorial Board. These views are separate from editorials and reflect individual perspectives of contributing writers and/or members of the University community.