From Slate Magazine · Adam Laats · · 2m
Catholic Preschools Ban LGBTQ+ Parents, Sparking Supreme Court Clash
Catholic preschools in Colorado refuse state funding after excluding children with LGBTQ+ parents, risking a Supreme Court decision that could reshape school funding.
In brief
Catholic preschools in Colorado refuse state funding after excluding children with LGBTQ+ parents, risking a Supreme Court decision that could reshape school funding. Two Colorado Catholic preschools want state funds but refuse to accept children with LGBTQ+ parents, potentially changing how public money supports…
Colorado Catholic Preschools Seek State Funds
Two Catholic preschools in Littleton, Colorado, want state taxpayer funds for preschool education.
Schools Exclude Children with LGBTQ+ Parents
The schools in St. Mary Catholic Parish insist on keeping out children with LGBTQ+ parents.
Supreme Court Hearing Arguments
Starting Tuesday, the Supreme Court is hearing arguments in an education case that could upend the relationship between religion and school.
Historical Anti-Catholic Discrimination
In the 19th century, Catholic schools faced violent attacks, including a 1834 Boston convent fire and 1920s Philadelphia militia violence.
Ku Klux Klan Targeted Catholic Schools
Ku Klux Klan members fired Catholic teachers and banned Catholic schools in the 1920s, claiming Catholicism caused a moral breakdown.
Klan’s Educational Campaign
The Klan ran school-board slates in cities like Anaheim, El Paso, and Indianapolis to fire Catholic teachers and reduce salaries.
Oregon Ban on Catholic Schools
Oregon voters approved a law banning Catholic schools in 1920s, with similar bills in Alabama, Oklahoma, Washington, Michigan, Indiana, Texas, and Arkansas.
1925 Supreme Court Ruling
The Supreme Court rejected the Klan’s attack in Pierce v. Society of Sisters, confirming Catholic schools could not be banned entirely.
2022 SCOTUS Ruling on Religious Schools
In Carson v. Makin, the Supreme Court ruled a state could not exclude religious schools from tax-funded programs based on discriminatory beliefs.
Current Case Strategy
Catholic preschools aim to shatter 1990s Employment Division v. Smith by proving religious schools can ignore state laws without penalty.
Public Funding for Discrimination
The preschools want public money to subsidize their right to exclude LGBTQ+ families from preschool programs.
Historical Parallel
The current case mirrors the 1920s Klan’s campaign to ban Catholic schools, using public funds to enforce religious discrimination.
The bottom line
Two Colorado Catholic preschools want state funds but refuse to accept children with LGBTQ+ parents, potentially changing how public money supports religious discrimination.
