Current:Home > InvestJudge says Maine can forbid discrimination by religious schools that take state tuition money -Mastery Money Tools
Judge says Maine can forbid discrimination by religious schools that take state tuition money
View
Date:2025-04-17 08:11:52
PORTLAND, Maine (AP) — Maine didn’t violate the U.S. constitutional rights of religious schools by requiring them to abide by the state’s antidiscrimination law to receive taxpayer-funded tuition assistance, a federal judge ruled. But the judge also acknowledged that a higher court will ultimately have the final say.
U.S. District Judge John Woodcock Jr. said he sees no constitutional violation in requiring religious schools to abide by the Maine Human Rights Act.
“The plaintiffs are free to practice their religion, including the teaching of their religion as they see fit, but cannot require the state to subsidize their religious teachings if they conflict with state antidiscrimination law,” the judge wrote.
A notice of appeal to the 1st U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in Boston was filed on Friday, a day after Woodcock issued his 75-page decision rejecting the plaintiffs’ request for an injunction.
The lawsuit is one of two in Maine that focus on the collision between a 2022 U.S. Supreme Court ruling that Maine cannot discrimination against religious schools in providing tuition assistance and a state law requiring that schools participating in the tuition program must abide by the Maine Human Rights Act, which includes protections for LGBTQ students and faculty.
The Maine Human Rights Act was amended by state legislators regarding how it applies to schools before the Supreme Court decision. The law bans discrimination on the basis of race, gender, sexual orientation, ethnicity or disability. This means schools must not discriminate against gay and transgender teachers and students, which could conflict with some religious schools’ beliefs.
Adele Keim, senior counsel for Becket Law, which is representing the plaintiffs, accused Maine lawmakers of using the antidiscrimination measure to “make an end run around the Supreme Court” with the specific aim of preventing the participation of religious schools. She also said the law is applied unevenly because the state has sent tuition dollars to an all-girls school in Massachusetts.
The lawsuits were filed after the justices ruled 6-3 that Maine cannot discriminate between secular and religious schools when providing tuition assistance to kids in rural communities that don’t have a public high school. The program allows those students to attend another school, public or private, of their choosing.
A spokesperson for Attorney General Aaron Frey declined comment on Monday.
The lawsuit was brought on behalf of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Portland; a Roman Catholic-affiliated school, St. Dominic’s Academy in Auburn, Maine; and parents who want to use state tuition funds to send their children to St. Dominic’s. Another lawsuit, brought by parents who wanted to send a child to Crosspoint Church in Bangor, is already pending before the appeals court in Boston. Keim said she wouldn’t be surprised if the appeals court hears arguments from both cases at the same time.
The high court’s decision was hailed as a victory for school choice proponents — potentially giving life to efforts in some of the states that have not directed taxpayer money to private, religious education.
But the impact in Maine has been small. Since the ruling, only one religious school, Cheverus High School, a Jesuit college preparatory school in Portland, has participated in the state’s tuition reimbursement plan, a spokesperson said.
veryGood! (6363)
Related
- The Louvre will be renovated and the 'Mona Lisa' will have her own room
- Live updates | 6 killed overnight in an apparent Israeli airstrike on a home in southern Gaza
- Trump’s lawyers want special counsel Jack Smith held in contempt in 2020 election interference case
- Nordstrom Quietly Put Tons of SKIMS Styles on Sale Up to 50% Off— Here's What I’m Shopping
- Off the Grid: Sally breaks down USA TODAY's daily crossword puzzle, Triathlon
- National championship game breakdown: These factors will decide Michigan vs. Washington
- NCAA, ESPN reach broadcast deal for championships that creates women's basketball payouts
- Dozens injured after two subway trains collide, derail in Manhattan
- Most popular books of the week: See what topped USA TODAY's bestselling books list
- ‘Fat Leonard’ seeks new attorneys ahead of sentencing in Navy bribery case, causing another delay
Ranking
- Tree trimmer dead after getting caught in wood chipper at Florida town hall
- Fire at home of Dolphins' star Tyreek Hill was accidental. Fire marshal reveals cause
- Eli Lilly starts website to connect patients with new obesity treatment, Zepbound, other drugs
- Steve Burton exits 'Days of Our Lives' 1 year after reprising role
- San Francisco names street for Associated Press photographer who captured the iconic Iwo Jima photo
- Ciara learns she's related to New York Yankees legend Derek Jeter after DNA test
- Japanese air safety experts search for voice data from plane debris after runway collision
- Huge waves will keep battering California in January. Climate change is making them worse.
Recommendation
Mets have visions of grandeur, and a dynasty, with Juan Soto as major catalyst
T-Mobile offers free Hulu to some customers: Find out if you qualify
Federal lawsuit seeks to force Georgia mental health agencies to improve care for children
Florida surgeon general wants to halt COVID-19 mRNA vaccines; FDA calls his claims misleading
Meet first time Grammy nominee Charley Crockett
Armed ethnic alliance in northern Myanmar is said to have seized a city that was a key goal
MetLife Stadium to remove 1,740 seats for 2026 World Cup, officials hoping to host final
South African athlete Oscar Pistorius has been released from prison on parole, authorities say