# 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.
- Title: Catholic Preschools Ban LGBTQ+ Parents, Sparking Supreme…
- Summary: Catholic preschools in Colorado refuse state funding after excluding children with LGBTQ+ parents, risking a Supreme Court decision that could reshape school…
- Keywords: catholic preschools, lgbtq+ parents, colorado, supreme court, state funding, religious discrimination, scotus, education funding, Catholic, Preschools, Ban, LGBTQ
- Source: Slate Magazine — https://slate.com/life/2026/11/catholic-school-supreme-court-gay-parents-discrimination.html?via=rss
- Author: Adam Laats
- Published: 2026-11-02T19:29:55+00:00
- Read time: 2 min
- Topics: catholic preschools, lgbtq+ parents, colorado, supreme court, state funding, religious discrimination, scotus, education funding
## 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.
## Key takeaway

Two Colorado Catholic preschools want state funds but refuse to accept children with LGBTQ+ parents, potentially changing how public money supports religious discrimination.