Supreme Court Catholic preschool LGBTQ funding case

The Supreme Court is weighing whether Colorado may require publicly funded Catholic preschools to follow LGBTQ nondiscrimination rules.

Catholic preschools in Colorado seek access to the state’s universal pre-K subsidies while maintaining faith-based enrollment standards. Colorado conditions participation on compliance with LGBTQ nondiscrimination rules, including treatment of children of same-sex parents. At oral argument, several conservative justices appeared sympathetic to granting the schools an exemption, but no ruling has issued.

The ruling could affect religious schools, state subsidy programs, LGBTQ families and how public funding interacts with religious exemptions.

• The case concerns Colorado’s universal pre-K program. • The schools seek taxpayer funds covering up to 15 hours a week. • The dispute centers on children of LGBTQ parents. • The oral argument lasted about two hours. • A final Supreme Court ruling remains pending.