Lawsuit filed against Colorado officials for alleged discrimination against Christian preschool.
A Christian Preschool Fights for its Beliefs
A private Christian preschool in Colorado is taking a stand against discrimination. The Darren Patterson Christian Academy, which operates the “Busy Bees” preschool in Buena Vista, is suing the state’s Department of Early Childhood. The school claims that it will be denied state funding unless it adopts practices that go against its religious beliefs.
The academy was thrilled to be accepted into a new universal preschool program that offers 15 hours a week of free preschool to every 4-year-old in the state. However, it later discovered that in order to receive funding, it must adhere to nondiscrimination provisions regarding gender identity. Seeking a religious exemption, the school’s request was denied.
The Alliance Defending Freedom (ADF), a nonprofit organization dedicated to protecting religious freedom, has filed a federal civil rights lawsuit on behalf of the school. ADF Senior Counsel Jeremiah Galus argues, ”The Constitution is clear: The government may not deny participation in a public program simply due to a school’s internal religious exercise. Colorado officials are violating the school’s First Amendment rights by forcing it to abandon its religious beliefs—the reason why parents choose to send their kids to the school—to receive critical state funding.”
The lawsuit names Executive Director of the Colorado Department of Early Childhood Lisa Roy and Director of Colorado’s Universal Preschool Program Dawn Odean as defendants.
The lawsuit states, “This civil-rights action seeks to prevent the government from forcing a Christian preschool to surrender its religious character, beliefs, and exercise to participate in Colorado’s universal preschool program.”
The school now faces a difficult choice. It must either adhere to its religious beliefs and forfeit participation in the program or compromise its principles to receive state funding. The consequences are significant, as the school stands to lose valuable tuition reimbursement and potentially some students and families as well.
The ADF, known for its defense of religious freedom, recently represented a Colorado web designer who won a Supreme Court case allowing her to refuse services for same-sex wedding websites.
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