Supreme Court to hear Colorado religious freedom case

The United States Supreme Court has scheduled oral arguments for November 3 in the case of St. Mary Catholic Parish v. Roy. The dispute centers on whether Colorado’s Universal Preschool Program (UPK) violates the First Amendment by excluding Catholic preschools that maintain admissions policies based on religious teachings regarding sexuality and gender.

Colorado’s program provides tuition-free preschool to children but requires participating providers to comply with nondiscrimination rules, which prohibit discrimination based on sexual orientation or gender identity. Two Catholic parish preschools within the Archdiocese of Denver sought to participate in the program while adhering to their religious mission, but were denied exemptions from the state’s requirements.

The plaintiffs, which include the Archdiocese of Denver and several Catholic parents, argue that the state is forcing religious schools to choose between participating in a government program and upholding their religious convictions. Lower courts previously sided with Colorado, ruling that the program’s requirements were neutral and applied to all providers without distinction.