The University of Wisconsin Roman Catholic Foundation may be dropping the charges they brought against the Student Services Finance Committee Nov. 15.

The complaint — which the foundation filed with the Student Judiciary — calls for the reversal of SSFC's decision to not grant UWRCF "contract group status," and it calls for the four members who voted against UWRCF's request for contract status to be removed from the committee.

"Contract group status" would allow UWRCF to receive student-segregated fee funding for the full-time staff.

UWRCF spokesperson Tim Kruse said the focus of the foundation's complaint is alleging unbridled discretion on the part of SSFC members, and if that can be handled outside the Student Judiciary, he said the case would be dropped.

"We would like to get out of the litigation cycle with SSFC," Kruse said. "We need to have our contract status and we are confident we would win."

The case is scheduled to be heard by the Student Judiciary tonight, and Kruse said if UWRCF does not come up with a resolution before then, they will go forward with the charges.

The four committee members the UWRCF accused of viewpoint neutrality violation are SSFC Vice Chair Kellie Sanders, Secretary Jackie Goessl, and representatives Sree Atluru and Christine Harbin.

SSFC Chair Zach Frey said he was surprised by UWRCF's request for the Student Judiciary to remove four members of the committee based on one decision.

"I think that's a little extreme for the means of the case," Frey said. He added that he did not think the Judiciary would follow through with UWRCF's request.

Kruse said the foundation is not requesting funding for religious advisors — which has been a point of contention between UWRCF and the university for years — but for programming staff who work 60 hours a week with students.

"Anyone whose work is primarily concerned with Liturgy and Mass, we've never … asked for funding for them," Kruse said. "At this point we are the only organization on campus with full-time professional staff that are in no way funded with segregated fees. … No matter how you slice it, it is unjustifiable."

UWRCF has accused SSFC, UW administration and the UW System of not practicing viewpoint neutrality when making funding decisions about the religious foundation, but UW Chancellor John Wiley said in an interview with The Badger Herald that "viewpoint-neutral" is an ill-defined term. According to Wiley, the ambiguity of the term and its implications is "largely responsible" for much of the controversy.

At SSFC's final meeting before Thanksgiving recess last Monday, the committee maintained their position on SSFC's request for contract status but decided to allow funding for eight new paid student positions.

SSFC decided to approve a $253,273 budget for the religious foundation.

In light of the committee's latest decision, Kruse said UWRCF needs to reconsider its case against SSFC.

Kruse said UWRCF's goal is to attain fair treatment at the university and figure out why SSFC denied the group contract status, noting that the religious group needs to consult with its attorney to determine whether a Student Judiciary lawsuit is the most appropriate means to do so.

"We intend to pursue our rights to become a contract group through whatever avenue … is most likely to accomplish that goal," Kruse said. "[Monday] was the first night we didn't feel like we were told to sit there in the back of the bus and shut our mouths."

Frey said if the Student Judiciary rules in favor of SSFC, their decision to deny UWRCF contract status will stand. But if they rule in favor of UWRCF, Frey added, the Associated Students of Madison Student Council would hear the foundation's request for contract status. Depending on the council's ruling, UWRCF's budget would stay as is or be reconsidered to include full-time employee positions, Frey said.

According to Frey, there is no precedent in Student Judiciary decisions regarding contract status.