The Supreme Court is set to hear a challenge to Colorado rules requiring private preschools that receive taxpayer funding to offer children an “equal opportunity” to enroll, including children of gay and transgender parents.
The Archdiocese of Denver says the requirement conflicts with its religious mission and the First Amendment rights of its members. The archdiocese, St. Mary Catholic Parish and parents have sued the state over the policy.
The case concerns a preschool program at St. Mary, south of Denver, where families say they want their children educated in the Catholic faith and believe the state should help pay for that education.
The dispute will test whether religious objections can take precedence over government rules barring discrimination. The Supreme Court has issued a series of recent decisions expanding religion’s role in public life.
Sources: The New York Times Politics.