The state of Minnesota is being sued by a religious liberty group, Christian schools, and school families over a rule that forbids some Christian colleges and universities from offering free college credit, which a senior counsel called shameful.
The University of Northwestern, St. Paul, and Crown College, along with their families, are contesting a Minnesota law that exempts colleges from the state’s Post Secondary Enrollment Options (PSEO) program if they require students to sign a statement of faith, according to a news release from the Becket Fund for Religious Liberty.
According to its website, Becket is a nonprofit organization that works to protect religious freedom.
According to the details of the Loe v. Jett case on Becket’s website, the organization is supporting the impacted schools and families in their fight, which includes filing a federal lawsuit against Minnesota in 2023.
Becket released the news release in response to a request for comment.
In a news release from Becket, Minnesota parents Mark and Melinda Loe said, “We raise our children to put their faith at the center of everything they do.”
The family stated that Minnesota is regrettably denying children like ours the chance to start their college careers at institutions that respect their faith. In order to safeguard all religious kids and the institutions they choose to attend, we hope the court will overturn this statute.
According to Becket’s news release, Minnesota’s PSEO program, which was started almost 40 years ago, enables high school seniors and juniors to receive free college credit.
The release stated that the PSEO program has allowed students to attend any eligible public or private school of their choosing.
But according to Becket’s court documents, in 2023, Minnesota Governor Tim Walz signed a bill into law amending the PSEO to bar Christian schools like Crown and Northwestern from taking part due to the faith statement requirement for on-campus students.
The statements of faith merely ask students if they will accept the school’s religious beliefs in order to maintain a robust Christian community on campus, according to the case details.
Minnesota Governor Tim Walz, Commissioner of Education Willie Jett, and Jett’s assistant Marquetta Stokes did not respond to two requests for comment.
According to the case material, Minnesota pledged not to enforce the statute during the course of the legal proceedings.
In a press release, Northwestern President Corbin Hoornbeek said that Minnesota wishes to highlight the university for its distinctive campus culture, which combines learning and spirituality.
Hoornbeek told reporters, “We pray the court will acknowledge that and continue to allow us to help on-campus PSEO students flourish in their education and faith.”
Crown College President Andrew Denton stated in a news release that the college is grateful to extend the opportunity for biblically-integrated education to young students who seek to join [Crown s] Christian community through the PSEO program.
We pray that the court will continue to allow every student in Minnesota to use PSEO funds at the school that best meets their needs and matches their values, Denton said the audience.
The Center Square reached out to Crown College, senior director of marketing Jennifer Clemens, and senior vice president for media Jason Sharp at Northwestern. No one responded.
Politicians in St. Paul are turning away hundreds of high school students who wish to enter college early because they are religious, according to Eric Baxter, senior counsel and vice president of Becket’s.
“That’s shameful. Instead of denying students opportunities to grow, the state should be assisting in their education,” Baxter told the newspaper.
“We are certain that the court will permanently overturn Minnesota’s ban,” Baxter assured the audience.
According to Becket in the case facts, religious schools should be able to participate in publicly available programs without discrimination, and religious school students should be able to participate in these programs on equal footing as students who attend non-religious schools.
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Eliot Pierce is a dedicated writer for ChiefsFocus.com, covering local crime and finance news. With a keen eye for detail and a passion for storytelling, Eliot aims to provide his readers with clear and insightful analysis, helping them navigate the complexities of their financial lives while staying informed about important local events. His commitment to delivering accurate and engaging content makes him a valuable resource for the community.