SALT LAKE CITY (AP) — A California professor who was set to speak at Brigham Young University has canceled after learning how the school handles Mormon students who lose their faith.

The Salt Lake Tribune reports that University of California, Santa Barbara sociology professor Mark Juergensmeyer says he takes issue with the school's policy forcing students to hide their change of faith or expelling them.

He was set to speak Tuesday at the International Law and Religion Symposium. Juergensmeyer says he decided not to speak after a group called FreeBYU told him about the school's policy.

He says universities should be encouraging free inquiry. Associate Director of BYU's International Center for Law and Religion Studies says the school has a right to determine its membership as a faith-based institution.

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