Supreme Court Hears Catholic Preschool Case Today: Public Funds and Admissions Policy at Issue
WASHINGTON, Nov. 3 — The U.S. Supreme Court was set to hear arguments this morning in St. Mary Catholic Parish v. Roy, a case centered on whether Catholic preschools that accept state public funding may, for religious reasons, refuse to comply with Colorado's antidiscrimination rules. A decision is expected before the summer of 2027.
The case arises from Colorado's Universal Preschool Program, which provides parents with about $6,000 to send their children to a public or private preschool of their choice, including religious schools. Participating schools must follow the state's antidiscrimination rules and may not exclude students, parents or staff because of sexual orientation or gender identity.
Two Catholic preschools under the Archdiocese of Denver said that, under Catholic teaching on marriage, sexuality and gender, enrolling children of same-sex couples or related families would conflict with their faith, so they refused the condition and sued.
The lower courts mostly sided with Colorado. A federal district court ruled for the state in June 2024, finding the rules neutral and generally applicable rather than aimed at Catholic belief, and the Tenth Circuit affirmed in September 2025.
The Supreme Court agreed to hear the case in April 2026 but declined to revisit the precedent set by the 1990 case Employment Division v. Smith. The Becket Fund for Religious Liberty, representing the plaintiffs, argues that a program called "universal" should truly be open to all; opponents warn that a ruling against Colorado could lead other publicly funded programs to face demands for exemptions from antidiscrimination rules.
Notably, the argument falls on the day of the U.S. midterm elections. The Trump administration, through the Solicitor General, is supporting the Catholic plaintiffs. The ruling will affect not only preschool education in Colorado but could also draw new boundaries for the conditions under which religious schools nationwide receive public funds.
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Source: U.S. Supreme Court
Published by GSM · USA (original Chinese edition)
Photo: 美国最高法院大楼。照片：Jesse Collins，CC BY 3.0，经 Wikimedia Commons / The U.S. Supreme Court building. Photo by Jesse Collins, CC BY 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
