News and Events => Education news => Topic started by: Lori Dee on September 30, 2025, 07:27:12 PM Return to Full Version

Title: Appeals court rules for Colorado and LGBTQ rights and against Catholic parishes
Post by: Lori Dee on September 30, 2025, 07:27:12 PM
Appeals court rules for Colorado and LGBTQ rights and against Catholic parishes in state preschool case
https://www.chalkbeat.org/colorado/2025/09/30/federal-appeals-court-rules-against-catholic-preschools-lgbtq-rights-case/
Chalkbeat Colorado - Ann Schimke
September 30, 2025, 5:25pm MDT

Preschoolers with LGBTQ parents or who identify as LGBTQ can't be shut out of religious preschools that are part of Colorado's state-funded preschool program, a federal appeals court ruled Tuesday.

Tuesday's decision provides the latest answer to a question being asked in several cases percolating in state and federal courts: Can private religious schools that accept public education dollars refuse to enroll certain kids based on religious principles?

Along with the 10th Circuit Court of Appeals, a Maine federal district court and a Utah state court are among those who have said no.

In its 54-page ruling, the 10th Circuit Court of Appeals ...three-judge panel found that the early childhood department, which runs the preschool program, had applied the state's nondiscrimination policy in a neutral way to both religious and non-religious preschools.

In a statement Tuesday, Gov. Jared Polis said, "We are building a Colorado for all, where every student is free from discrimination and this voter-approved initiative continues to enroll approximately 70% of all eligible four-year-olds each school year and many faith based and secular providers are operating terrific preschools that serve parents and children well."

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Separation of church and state. If you want taxpayer dollars to fund your religious school, then you must abide by the rules set by the state. If you don't like the rules set by the state, get your funding somewhere else. Simple.