Catholic preschools are seeking access to Colorado’s public funding programme while challenging its LGBTQ+ admissions protections.
The US Supreme Court has heard a case over whether Catholic preschools must comply with Colorado’s anti-discrimination requirements to receive state funding.
Arguments took place on Tuesday 3 November in Washington — Wednesday 4 November NZDT. No ruling has been issued.
Who Gets Through The Door?
St Mary Catholic Parish and the Archdiocese of Denver argue that exclusion from the programme over admissions policies grounded in their religious teachings violates their right to freely exercise their religion.
Colorado says refusing children from LGBTQ+ families breaches the state’s anti-discrimination law. Its universal preschool programme, created through a 2020 ballot measure, funds places at providers chosen by parents.
The Trump administration is supporting the Catholic institutions.
The schools also point to preferences permitted for children with disabilities and those from low-income families. Colorado argues those arrangements comply with its anti-discrimination rules.
A Decision Still To Come
Reuters reported that some conservative justices appeared receptive to the schools’ arguments. Questions during a hearing, however, do not establish how the court will rule.
A decision is expected by the end of June 2027.
For rainbow families, the dispute raises a direct question: what protection against exclusion should accompany a publicly funded preschool place?
