Jim Towey participated in a debate on April 2 at Harvard Law School sponsored by the Law School, the ACLU and the Society for Law, Life, and Religion. Towey, who served as the Director of the Office of Faith-Based and Community Initiatives under President George W. Bush, debated Rev. Barry Lynn, Executive Director of Americans United for Separation of Church and State.

The event, moderated by Professor Mark Tushnet, the William Nelson Cromwell Professor of Law at Harvard Law School, debated the legality of faith-based initiatives and focused on the relevance of faith in addressing the challenging issues of our time.

“It was an honor to be invited to such a prestigious institution. I was happy to plant the Bearcat flag in Harvard Square and to be engaged in an important debate about the role of faith-based organizations and their rights in the public square,” Towey stated. “I had not been to Harvard’s campus in several years, and returning now as a college president I was proud to represent an institution that has enthusiastically adhered to its faith-based roots in ways that others, perhaps including Harvard, have not.”