“Religious Discrimination is Dead,” Secretary DeVos, ED Issues Response on Critical Supreme Court Decision Impacting Education
Following today’s Supreme Court’s ruling on Espinoza v. Montana Department of Revenue, U.S. Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos released the following statement commending the landmark decision. She states,
“Today’s decision is a historic victory for America’s students and all those who believe in fundamental fairness and freedom. Each and every student needs the freedom to find their education fit, and today the Highest Court in the Land has protected that right by ensuring that families can use taxpayer funds to choose schools that match their values and educational goals, including faith-based schools. I applaud the Court’s decision to assign a manifestation of the ‘last acceptable prejudice’ to the dustbin of history where it belongs. Montana and other states should be very clear about this historic decision: your bigoted Blaine Amendments and other restrictions like them are unconstitutional, dead, and buried. Too many students have been discriminated against based on their faith and have been forced to stay in schools that don’t match their values. This decision represents a turning point in the sad and static history of American education, and it will spark a new beginning of education that focuses first on students and their needs. I’m calling on all states to now seize the extraordinary opportunity to expand all education options at all schools to every single student in America.”
If you recall, earlier this year the FE Coalition expressed appreciation to Sec. DeVos for releasing guidance on constitutionally protected prayer in public elementary and secondary schools, which is a huge win for not only Christians but members of all faith groups. Also, we expressed value in ED’s and the Department of Justice’s (DOJ) 2017 Title IX guidance for public schools which reiterates ED’s commitment to ensuring that all students “have the freedom to learn and thrive in a safe and trusted environment” and are protected from harassment. Today, we are pleased to know she and the current White House administration stand behind the American ideal that no student should be discriminated against based on his or her religious convictions.
Rev. Girien R. Salazar
Executive Director, FE Coalition
