Judge says Maine can forbid discrimination by religious schools that take state tuition money

Associated Press

PORTLAND, Maine (AP) — A judge says Maine isn’t violating the constitutional rights of religious schools by requiring them to abide by a state antidiscrimination law to receive taxpayer-funded tuition assistance. But the judge also acknowledged that a higher court will have the final say. The lawsuit is one of two in Maine focusing on the collision between federal and state law. The U.S. Supreme Court ruled that Maine cannot discriminate against religious schools in providing tuition assistance. A state law requires that schools participating in the tuition program abide by the Maine Human Rights Act, and that includes protections for LGBTQ students and faculty.