The Anti-Defamation League (ADL) has filed an amicus curiae (friend of the court) brief in the Colorado Court of Appeals opposing the Douglas County School District school voucher program, saying that the program would improperly use tax dollars to fund discrimination.

“The Douglas County voucher program would use public money to support religious schools, many of which expressly discriminate in student admissions and hiring based on religion and/or sexual orientation,” said Scott Levin, ADL Mountain States Regional Director.  “Not only would this program undermine religious freedom and the separation of church and state that is necessary to maintain it, but the program would also flout Colorado’s longstanding anti-discrimination laws by explicitly allowing schools to discriminate against students based on protected characteristics.   Douglas County is seeking the benefits of state funding for schools without having to abide by the obligations and anti-discrimination laws that accepting those funds entails.  The District cannot have it both ways.”

The League’s brief was prepared by Daniel McKenzie and Stephen Burg of Burg Simpson Eldredge Hersh & Jardine, PC, with the assistance of Allison Cohn of Wheeler Trigg O’Donnell, LLP.