The U.S. Supreme Court will hear oral arguments on Tuesday, Nov. 3 at 8:00 AM, Colorado time, in St. Mary Catholic Parish v. Roy, a First Amendment case challenging Colorado’s nondiscrimination requirements for religious schools participating in the state’s universal preschool program.
The case stems from a dispute involving Catholic preschools affiliated with the Archdiocese of Denver that seek to participate in the publicly funded program while maintaining religious admissions policies concerning marriage, sexual orientation and gender identity. Colorado requires participating providers to offer equal enrollment opportunities regardless of certain protected characteristics, including religious affiliation, sexual orientation and gender identity.
The 10th Circuit Court of Appeals upheld Colorado’s requirements in September 2025. The Supreme Court will consider whether exceptions to the state’s enrollment requirements undermine their general applicability under the First Amendment’s Free Exercise Clause and whether prior Supreme Court decisions protecting religious institutions’ access to public benefits apply to the dispute.
The ruling could have implications for religious schools, state-funded education programs and the relationship between religious freedom and nondiscrimination protections nationwide.
Useful links:
Official Supreme Court docket — No. 25-581
Listen to oral argument live
Argument Transcripts page