Jul 14, 2014 12:04 PM EDT By Russell Westerholm, UniversityHerald Reporter

Gordon College is now under an accreditation review to determine whether or not the Christian school is in violation of any sexual-orientation-based discrimination violations.

According to the Boston Business Journal, New England Association of School and College (NEASC), the region's higher education accreditation body, will discuss the matter at a Sept. meeting. D. Michael Lindsay, Gordon's president, recently wrote a letter to President Barack Obama asking for all religious institutes to be left out of an executive order that would cut federal funding as a penalty for certain discrimination.

As a Christian institution, Gordon currently prohibits homosexual actions between students, faculty and staff. The school also allows has similar hiring protections, the Boston Globe reported.

"There's considerable publicity about the whole issue, and it's been getting a lot of attention," Barbara E. Brittingham, NEASC's director, told the Globe. "It's a matter of looking at the information we have and deciding if the institution is meeting our standards."

She did not say what she expected the commission to decide, but only said the matter made its way onto the Sept. meeting agenda. She did say that pulling a school's accreditation is a "very drastic" move and is quite rare.

Lindsay was among 14 leaders of religious higher education institutions to co-sign the letter to the White House. Since, an online petition to have Lindsay alter his school's hiring policy has gained more than 3,500 signatures. The town of Salem has also ended a contract it had with the school allowing Gordon to use Old Town Hall, a city property.

"The clear message is that homosexuals are not worthy of employment, or even recognition of their existence, in the Gordon community," Michael Alexander, a Salem leader and president of Lasell College in Newton, told the Globe. "It is a slap in the face of every gay and lesbian person, particularly every gay and lesbian Christian, that says you are somehow less of a human being, you do not belong in the embrace of God's merciful arms."

Last Monday Lindsay issued and open letter apologizing for how his signature on the White House letter became "misconstrued." He said it was not his intention to alienate anyone from Gordon or to bring on bad press for the school.

"Be assured that nothing has changed in our position regarding admission or employment," he wrote. "We have never barred categories of individuals from our campus and have no intention to do so now.

"We have always sought to be a place of grace and truth, and that remains the case."

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