Vermont family sues state for discriminating against religious families, schools

The Alliance Defending Freedom announced Wednesday that it is suing Vermont on behalf of a family for excluding religious families and schools from publicly available benefits, continuing the Green Mountain State’s alleged record of discrimination.The federal lawsuit, filed Tuesday, accuses Vermont of enacting a state law that makes religious families and religious schools ineligible for public benefits, despite a 2021 court ruling that a previous state policy of excluding religious schools and families violated the First Amendment.
The lawsuit comes after state law banned all religious schools from the Town Tuition Program, which is a state program that provides tuition for students who live in areas without local public schools.
“Parents should be able to send their children to schools that are the best fit for them, and the First Amendment protects parents’ right to choose religious schools,” ADF Legal Counsel Jake Reed said in a statement. “Yet after decades and multiple court rulings protecting religious freedom, Vermont continues to discriminate against religious families and schools. Such unequal treatment violates the First Amendment, and government officials must be held accountable.”
The family is also accusing the state of blocking their daughter from enrolling in its Dual Enrollment Program, which allows high school students to take college courses at no cost to them. Eligibility for the program is contingent on Town Tuition—a student must either be enrolled in a public school or receive Town Tuition funding at a private school to be eligible.
“Vermont’s message is clear: Religious schools and their families are treated as second-class in this state,” Reed said. “No religious school qualifies for Town Tuition funding, and no family who wants to send their kids to a religious school can reap the benefits of their own tax dollars. The First Amendment does not tolerate such treatment.”
Misty Severi is a news reporter for Just The News. You can follow her on X for more coverage.

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