A brand new lawsuit over Maine’s tuition reimbursement program for personal colleges contends an antidiscrimination regulation unfairly targets non secular colleges to stop their participation.
The regulation requiring all colleges to comply with state antidiscrimination legal guidelines, together with protections for LGBTQ college students and college, to obtain reimbursements went into impact earlier than the U.S. Supreme Courtroom dominated that Maine can’t exclude non secular colleges from its program that gives tuition help for personal schooling.
The lawsuit, filed Monday, contends the regulation discriminates in opposition to non secular colleges by imposing restrictions that particularly intention to maintain them out of this system.
MAINE UNIVERSITY PRESIDENT WALKS BACK PRAISE OF EPSTEIN-LINKED TRUSTEE
“Maine misplaced on the U.S. Supreme Courtroom simply final yr however just isn’t getting the message that non secular discrimination is against the law,” Lea Patterson, legal professional for Texas-based First Liberty Institute, certainly one of two regulation companies representing Bangor Christian College, stated Tuesday in an announcement.
Maine Legal professional Basic Aaron Frey stated the Maine Human Rights Act protects all residents from discrimination and he stated he is “steadfast” in upholding the regulation. “If abiding by this state regulation is unacceptable to the plaintiffs, they’re free to forego taxpayer funding,” Frey stated Tuesday.
There have been a number of lawsuits through the years over Maine’s program that gives tuition reimbursements for personal colleges for college kids who reside in communities that do not have a public faculty.
UNIVERSITY OF SOUTHERN MAINE STUDENTS DEMAND PROFESSOR BE REPLACED FOR SAYING ONLY TWO SEXES EXIST
The state program excluded non secular colleges from participation earlier than the U.S. Supreme Courtroom’s 6-Three ruling, which was hailed as a victory for varsity alternative proponents.
Within the Maine case, dad and mom sued to have the ability to use state help to ship their kids to Bangor Christian College and Temple Academy in Waterville. Each of these colleges have insurance policies that discriminate on a foundation of sexual orientation or gender identification, the legal professional basic stated beforehand.
The Maine Human Rights Act was amended by state legislators almost about its software to colleges simply earlier than the Supreme Courtroom agreed to listen to that lawsuit.
Ultimately, neither Bangor Christian College nor Temple Academy in Waterville utilized to take part final fall. Just one non secular faculty, Cheverus Excessive College, a Jesuit faculty preparatory faculty in Portland, submitted an software for tuition reimbursement and was permitted by the state.
This text was initially printed by foxnews.com. Learn the original article here.
Comments are closed.