Religious schools shun state funding despite Maine victory

PORTLAND, Maine — Dad and mom of kids enrolled in Maine non secular colleges fought for years — all the best way to the U.S. Supreme Court docket — for the state to deal with tuition reimbursements the identical as different personal colleges.

However solely one of many non secular excessive colleges that stood to learn has signed as much as take part this fall, after Maine’s legal professional basic warned that the faculties must abide by state antidiscrimination legal guidelines, together with those who shield LGBTQ college students and school. That growth has annoyed the households who sued.

“Their fingers are tied. The state mentioned you may take the cash, however we’ll tie your fingers,” mentioned David Carson, whose daughter was a sophomore at Bangor Christian Colleges when his household and two different plaintiffs sued in 2018.

The Supreme Court docket dominated in June that Maine can’t exclude non secular colleges from a program that gives tuition for personal training in rural cities the place there aren’t any public colleges.

Spiritual excessive colleges with a recognized stake within the tuition combat embrace two Catholic-affiliated colleges, together with colleges in Bangor, Waterville and Houlton.

Final 12 months, 29 personal colleges participated within the tuition reimbursement program, enrolling greater than 4,500 college students, officers mentioned. These colleges that meet the state’s standards can get about $12,000 per scholar in taxpayer funding.

To this point, just one non secular college has signed as much as take part, and that software will undergo a overview course of, mentioned Marcus Mrowka, a state training spokesperson. Mrowka declined to determine the varsity.

The deadline for functions is Thursday.

Michael Bindas is a senior legal professional on the Virginia-based Institute for Justice, a nonprofit libertarian regulation agency that represented the households who sued. He mentioned he’s not stunned the faculties are sluggish to determine whether or not to take part, due to the questions raised by the legal professional basic.

“These open questions, nonetheless, will probably be resolved in time, and we definitely count on non secular colleges to take part,” he mentioned.

It’s extra doubtless that there will probably be a better impression within the 2023-24 college 12 months, mentioned Carroll Conley, govt director of the Christian Civic League of Maine, and a former Christian college headmaster.

“Individuals need to see it taking place, however colleges are being cautious. It’s a giant change,” Conley mentioned.

There have been a number of lawsuits over time earlier than the U.S. Supreme Court docket’s 6-3 ruling earlier this 12 months, which was hailed as a victory for varsity selection proponents — doubtlessly giving life to efforts in a few of the states that haven’t directed taxpayer cash to personal, non secular training.

The Affiliation of Christian Colleges Worldwide, a Colorado-based group that promotes Christian training, mentioned the truth that 32 different states have already got a college selection program speaks volumes.

“We hope that the 18 states that should not have college selection applications will someday have one,” the group mentioned in a press release.

In Maine, Lawyer Normal Aaron Frey criticized the Supreme Court docket ruling and mentioned all colleges that settle for public funds, together with non secular colleges, should abide by the Maine Human Rights Act, which bans discrimination on the premise of race, gender, sexual orientation, ethnicity or incapacity. That may imply accepting homosexual and transgender academics and pupils, he mentioned.

Each Christian colleges related to the lawsuit — Temple Academy in Waterville and Bangor Christian Colleges — have insurance policies that discriminate towards college students and workers on a foundation of sexual orientation or gender identification, he mentioned.

The Rev. Tom Brown, who’s senior pastor and president at Bangor Christian Colleges and an affiliated church, mentioned in an e-mail that the “we’re processing” the legal professional basic’s statements. He confirmed that no college students will probably be getting state tuition reimbursement this fall.

Officers from Temple Academy didn’t return messages.

The Supreme Court docket ruling doesn’t have an effect on the Carson household as a result of their daughter already graduated from highschool, and is enrolled in school.

However David Carson, of Glenburn, mentioned it’s irritating to see the authorized victory muddied by the legal professional basic.

“It’s disappointing once you do all this and nothing occurs,” he mentioned. “It’s sort of a circus to me. The Supreme Court docket says one factor, however the state legal professional basic simply does what he desires to do.”