A federal judge ruled Friday that Minnesota cannot exclude religious colleges requiring students to sign statements of faith from its Postsecondary Enrollment Options program, calling the 2023 law unconstitutional.
The decision favors Crown College in St. Bonifacius and the University of Northwestern in Roseville, two Christian schools that require pledges aligning with their religious values, which critics say effectively restricts access for non-Christian and LGBTQ+ students. U.S. District Judge Nancy Brasel said the state’s ban violated the First Amendment, citing Supreme Court precedent that prohibits disqualifying institutions “solely because they’re religious.”
The Postsecondary Enrollment Options program allows Minnesota high school students to take college courses for free, with roughly 60,000 participants statewide. Lawmakers added the restriction in 2023 as part of broader protections for LGBTQ+ rights, but parents and students represented by the Becket Fund for Religious Liberty sued, arguing it denied families the ability to choose faith-based education.
The judge also struck down a nondiscrimination requirement tied to the program, saying both measures unlawfully burdened religious freedom. The ruling marks the second time in a week that Minnesota courts have invalidated laws enacted under Democratic control.
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