MINNEAPOLIS — A federal court has ruled that two Christian colleges in Minnesota cannot be excluded from a state program that allows high school students to take college courses at no cost. The decision, delivered by U.S. District Judge Nancy Brasel on Friday, invalidated a 2023 law that aimed to address discrimination allegations at these institutions.
Judge Brasel determined that the legislative measure constituted an unconstitutional infringement on the religious freedoms of high school students wishing to enroll at the colleges. “This dispute requires the court to venture into the delicate constitutional interplay of religion and publicly-funded education,” she stated in her 70-page ruling. She emphasized the Supreme Court’s guidance that the First Amendment uniquely protects the rights of religious organizations.
Crown College in St. Bonifacius and the University of Northwestern-St. Paul, the two affected schools, have received nearly $40 million since the 2017-18 academic year to support their participation in Minnesota’s Postsecondary Enrollment Options (PSEO) program. Crown College and Northwestern have been at the forefront of providing PSEO credits in the state, according to the judge’s findings.
Both institutions require incoming students to adhere to faith-based conduct codes, which can alienate non-Christian or LGBTQ students from campus activities. These codes include commitments to abstain from sexual relations outside of marriage.
The lawsuit initiating the case was filed on behalf of two Minnesota families who sought to enroll their children in the PSEO program at these colleges. They argued that the new law pressured students into attending alternative institutions that did not require such faith statements. The implementation of the ban was halted following the lawsuit’s commencement in 2023.
“This ruling is a win for families who won’t be strong-armed into abandoning their beliefs, and a sharp warning to politicians who target them,” said Diana Thompson, a senior attorney at the Becket Fund for Religious Liberty, which represented the families. She criticized the state for attempting to restrict educational access based on religious beliefs.
Officials from the Minnesota Department of Education, who had advocated for the prohibition, are currently considering whether to appeal the ruling.
This development marks a significant ruling in the interplay between state educational policies and religious freedoms, raising questions about the future of similar laws and their implications for faith-based educational institutions.
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