On November 14, 2024, FFRF joined a coalition of education groups in support of the State of Maine’s defense of public education in the case St. Dominic Academy v. Makin. This case is rooted in a tuition assistance program that Maine offers called “town tuitioning.” This program funds private education tuition in rural areas of the state if a public option is unavailable.
Following the Supreme Court decision in Carson v. Makin, Maine required participating schools to comply with the Maine Human Rights Act (“MHRA”) if the school wanted to receive funding from the state. St. Dominic Academy is a private Catholic school that sued along with a group of parents in order to be exempt from complying with MHRA. This school argues that it must be allowed to receive public funds while engaging in otherwise illegal discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation, gender identity, and religion.
FFRF previously filed amicus briefs when Carson v. Makin was in the First Circuit Court of Appeals and the Supreme Court.
This amicus brief was coordinated and drafted by the Education Law Center and the law firm Morrison and Foerster through Public Funds Public Schools. The other groups who signed on included: National Education Association, National School Boards Association, American Federation of Teachers, In The Public Interest, American Atheists, Council of Parent Attorneys and Advocates, Network For Public Education, Pastors For Children, Disability Rights Maine, and Maine Education Association.
