Oral Arguments Begin On Key Religious Liberty Case - OpEd

The U.S. Supreme Court is set to hear St. Mary Catholic Parish v. Roy, a religious liberty case involving Colorado’s universal preschool program. The Catholic League says Colorado bars Catholic preschools from participating because they decline children from homosexual and transgender families in line with Church teachings on sex and marriage. The brief argues the policy amounts to religious discrimination while pointing to other exemptions allowed in the program. It also references precedents related to protecting religious institutions’ funding and employment. The League says at least two Catholic preschools have closed and expects the Court to uphold First Amendment protections, with a ruling anticipated in spring 2027.