Multiple Christian preschools in Colorado allege that the state’s requirements to participate in a government funding program would force them to hire people who do not uphold their religious teachings on sexuality and marriage.
St. Mary Catholic Parish in Littleton and St. Bernadette Catholic Parish in Lakewood operate preschool programs in the Denver area. The parishes have a preference for admitting Catholic families, and they also have religious expectations of their staff.
In a federal lawsuit, the Catholic institutions allege that the state has excluded religious schools from participating in the Colorado Universal Preschool Program Act. The 2022 legislation established a system of state funding for preschool services.
According to the complaint, St. Mary’s and other archdiocesan preschools, including St. Bernadette’s, sought information about the program as they intended to participate.
However, after learning more about the program, the plaintiffs allege that the Department of Early Childhood implemented requirements that would exclude all Catholic preschools within the Archdiocese of Denver due to the Church’s “sincere and long-held religious beliefs.”
Jeremiah Galus, senior counsel for ADF said of the suit, “Religious schools have a right to be religious.”