NATIONAL NEWS

Supreme Court will hear from religious preschools challenging exclusion from taxpayer-funded program

Apr 20, 2026, 6:46 AM

The U.S. Supreme Court is seen Friday, April 17, 2026, in Washington. (AP Photo/Mariam Zuhaib)Credi...

The U.S. Supreme Court is seen Friday, April 17, 2026, in Washington. (AP Photo/Mariam Zuhaib)
Credit: ASSOCIATED PRESS

(AP Photo/Mariam Zuhaib)

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Supreme Court will hear from Catholic preschools that say Colorado violated their religious rights by excluding them from a state-funded program over their admission policies.

The court agreed Monday to take up the appeal from St. Mary Catholic Parish, which is supported by the Republican Trump administration.

The facilities argue it’s unconstitutional to bar them from a taxpayer-funded free preschool program because of their faith-based restrictions on admission of LGBTQ+ families and kids.

The state said that religious schools are welcome but are required to follow nondiscrimination laws.

It’s the latest religious rights case for the conservative-majority court, which has backed other claims of religious discrimination while taking a more skeptical view of LGBTQ+ rights.

___

Follow the AP’s coverage of the U.S. Supreme Court at https://apnews.com/hub/us-supreme-court.

Please follow our Community Guidelines

National News

meta social media addiction...

Associated Press

Meta reaches $17 billion settlement with states in landmark trial over teen social media addiction

Meta has agreed to pay $17 billion and add child-safety measures to its Facebook and Instagram platforms to end a landmark trial over teen social media addiction

17 minutes ago

Delivery vans bearing the logo sit during a protest staged as part of a countrywide National Day of...

Associated Press

Democratic states file new lawsuit seeking to block Trump’s order limiting mail voting in midterms

Democratic-controlled states on Wednesday filed another lawsuit challenging President Donald Trump’s executive order seeking to limit mail voting in this year’s midterm elections. The action, filed by about two dozen states against the U.S. Postal Service, marked a new phase in the high-stakes litigation just two days after the Supreme Court ruled against them in […]

52 minutes ago

Lyndsay Clancy and her attorney Kevin Reddington listen to the testimony of Dr. Gregory Saathoff du...

Associated Press

FBI psychiatrist returns as Lindsay Clancy murder trial nears closing arguments

The prosecution resumed questioning its final witness Wednesday in the murder trial against Lindsay Clancy, with an FBI psychiatrist testifying that the choices she made while killing her three children indicated she remained in control of her actions. Dr. Gregory Saathoff, a forensic psychiatrist at the University of Virginia and a senior psychiatrist for the […]

2 hours ago

Lennon Torres of Heat Initiative holds a banner with names of young people who advocates say died a...

Associated Press

Meta reaches $17 billion settlement with states in landmark trial over teen social media addiction

OAKLAND, Calif. (AP) — Meta has agreed to pay $17 billion and add child-safety measures to its Facebook and Instagram platforms to end a landmark trial over teen social media addiction and settle claims filed by 47 states, state attorneys general announced Wednesday. California, Colorado, Kentucky and New Jersey were among 29 states that sued […]

2 hours ago

Skagit Bay green crabs invasive...

Associated Press

Invasive green crabs are bad for the environment so New Englanders are starting to eat more of them

The green crabs, Carcinus maenas, made their way from Europe to the East Coast in the ballast waters of ships hundreds of years ago.

3 hours ago

President Donald Trump, left, and CIA Director John Ratcliffe speak as they depart following a cabi...

Associated Press

The Kremlin says the CIA director held talks in Moscow with his intelligence counterparts

The Kremlin said Wednesday that CIA Director John Ratcliffe held talks in Moscow with his intelligence counterparts, a rare and secretive visit at a time when relations with Washington remain strained over Russia’s war in Ukraine. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Ratcliffe did not meet with Russian President Vladimir Putin, who was informed of the […]

3 hours ago

Supreme Court will hear from religious preschools challenging exclusion from taxpayer-funded program