FFRF’s legal team explores in a timely episode of “Secular Spotlight” a Supreme Court case that could allow private religious schools to discriminate while receiving public funding.
The Supreme Court is considering whether religious preschools can receive public funding while refusing to admit children from LGBTQ+ families. FFRF Legal Director Patrick Elliot, Deputy Legal Director Liz Cavell and Patrick O’Reiley Legal Fellow Charlotte R. Gude break down the arguments in St. Mary’s Catholic Parish v. Roy, examine the justices’ perspectives and clarify what the decision could mean for LGBTQ+ rights and the separation of church and state nationwide.
“This case actually came to the court because of a vote in Colorado in 2020 where voters affirmed that they wanted to create a universal preschool program,” Gude explains. “They also included a requirement that the preschool providers give children an equal opportunity to enroll and receive preschool services regardless of race, ethnicity, religious affiliation, sexual orientation [and] gender identity. … Unfortunately, some religious preschools refused to agree to this requirement and sued to be let into the program despite this refusal.”
You can catch this episode of “Secular Spotlight” on FFRF’s YouTube channel, or on your smart TV after downloading FFRF’s free app, Freethought TV, which also highlights FFRF’s other video programming. Previous episodes explore a discussion on building better community in nonreligious spaces with Drew McCoy, as well as a discussion on nontheistic Satanism with Taylor “The Antibot” Leigh. Make sure you’re subscribed to FFRF’s YouTube channel for all the latest updates!
The Freedom From Religion Foundation is a U.S.-based nonprofit dedicated to defending the constitutional principle of separation between state and church and educating the public on matters relating to nontheism. With nearly 40,000 members across the country, FFRF is the largest association of freethinkers (atheists, agnostics and humanists) in North America. For more information, visit ffrf.org.
