A federal judge in Maine has ruled that the state did not violate the U.S. constitutional rights of religious schools by requiring them to adhere to the state's antidiscrimination law in order to receive taxpayer-funded tuition assistance. U.S. District Judge John Woodcock Jr. stated that there is no constitutional violation in mandating religious schools to comply with the Maine Human Rights Act.
The judge's decision comes in response to a lawsuit that highlights the clash between a recent U.S. Supreme Court ruling and Maine state law. The Supreme Court ruling stated that Maine cannot discriminate against religious schools in providing tuition assistance, while the state law requires schools participating in the program to follow the Maine Human Rights Act, which includes protections for LGBTQ individuals.
