Supreme Court to Hear Colorado Preschools' Rights Challenge

The U.S. Supreme Court agreed on Monday to hear a challenge from two Catholic preschools in Colorado that argue a state-funded universal preschool program violates their religious rights by requiring them to enroll children regardless of their families' sexual orientation or gender identity. In a separate action, the court declined to review a Massachusetts case in which parents claimed a school infringed on their rights by accommodating their child's genderqueer identity without their knowledge.

The Colorado case centers on a 2020 ballot initiative that established a program providing public funding for preschool at both public and private facilities selected by parents. The law includes a nondiscrimination clause mandating equal enrollment opportunities for eligible children, without regard to factors such as race, religion, sexual orientation or gender identity. St. Mary Catholic Parish in Littleton and the Archdiocese of Denver, along with a local Catholic family whose children attend one of the schools, sued in federal court. They contend the provision forces them to act against their faith by admitting children of same-sex couples, violating the First Amendment's free...