University of Iowa will pay nearly $2 million to settle discrimination lawsuits with two Christian student groups that have been de-registered because of their faith-based practices. The Iowa State Appeal Board on Monday unanimously approved a court-ordered settlement paid to Becket Fund for Religious Liberty, a Washington, D.C.-based law firm that represented both student groups in their lawsuits against the public university. Most of the the money will cover the cost of the attorneys for each group. The first group, Business Leaders in Christ (BLinC), barred a member from serving in a leading position after he came out as gay. In response to the gay student’s complaint, the university stripped BLinC’s status as a registered student organization, effectively denying the group’s access to university funding and campus resources. The BLinC sued the university in 2017, alleging that the university had violated its religious freedom to only select leaders who are …