The United States Supreme Court has agreed to hear an appeal from Catholic preschools in Colorado that claim the state violated their religious rights by excluding them from a publicly funded universal preschool programme. The facilities, supported by the Archdiocese of Denver and the Trump administration, argue that it is unconstitutional to bar them from the taxpayer-funded scheme because of their faith-based restrictions on admitting LGBTQ+ families and children.
Colorado maintains that religious schools are welcome to participate, but must comply with state nondiscrimination laws. The preschool programme, created by a 2020 ballot measure, provides public funding for free preschool at centres chosen by parents.
The case is the latest religious rights dispute to reach the conservative-majority court, which has previously backed claims of religious discrimination while taking a more sceptical view of LGBTQ+ rights. As part of the proceedings, the court will consider narrowing a landmark 1990 decision concerning the spiritual use of peyote, which held that religious practices do not create exemptions from broadly applicable laws.
However, the justices declined a request from the schools and a Catholic family to overturn that ruling entirely.
