Minnesota Christian colleges sue over dual enrollment statement of faith ban

Two Minnesota Christian universities challenge the state after a decades-old law was changed to bar them from participating in the state’s dual enrollment program because they require students to sign statements of belief.

Since 1985, Minnesota’s Postsecondary Enrollment Program allowed thousands of high school students who wanted to attend both private and public colleges to enroll in a program while receiving free high school and college credits. In 2023, the state changed the program law to exclude schools that require their students to sign a statement of belief on the application, a decision that legal representation said would exclude Crown College and the University of Northwestern, St. Paul. Now universities are fighting back against the measure, claiming it discriminates on the basis of religious practice.

Fox News Digital spoke with Diana Thomson of the Beckett Fund for Religious Liberty, who is representing the schools in the lawsuit against the state.

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A cross stands in front of a church in Culhuacan, Mexico City, Mexico on December 26th. (Photo by Gerardo Vieyra/NurPhoto via Getty Images)

“The Supreme Court has ruled over the last decade that the government does not have to provide funding for private schools, particularly in education,” Thomson told Fox News Digital. “It runs public schools. It does not have to provide funding to private schools, but once it does, it cannot exclude religious schools based on their religious status or practice. So there are cases all over the country.” Where governments are trying to get around what the Supreme Court has said and exclude religious schools from educational programs. This is the only program that I know of that is a dual enrollment program.

The court documents allege that officials highlighted the two colleges’ practices, even calling the declarations of faith “creepy” and “acknowledging that the purpose of the amendment was to force Crown and Northwestern to abandon their declarations of faith.”

“One of the things you heard from the legislators…in the investigative process…was…’These other schools don’t require a creed. Why can’t Crown and Northwestern just do what they do?’ “Why can’t they just adopt their religious beliefs?” Thomson told Fox News, explaining that the Constitution does not require schools to change their beliefs in order to receive public money.

“From proposal to enactment, the amendment targeted plaintiffs,” the lawsuit says. “Staff admitted the proposal was motivated by objections to admissions standards that require students to “actively practice.” [their] Christianity.’ (Ex. 21 at 1.) MDE also wanted to eliminate any messages that “could inform a prospective student that he or she is not welcome to attend a PSEO course…because of [the school’s] biblical worldview.’ (Reynolds.Tr.1 132:8-133:19.)”

Thomson said the law was not about “Separation of church and stateit’s about choice.”

“It’s about giving students a choice about where they want to go to school. Students have the choice to go to the University of Minnesota, any public or private school in Minnesota that offers this program,” she said. “Some students want to choose schools that create a community that allows them to practice their faith. That’s what this program makes possible. It does not establish a religion that provides choice to the government.”

If the provision passes, families who sent all their children to Crown and Northwestern will now no longer have the same opportunities for their younger children who want to receive dual enrollment credits, the attorney says.

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““I think it is important for governments to understand that they cannot exclude religious schools and religious institutions from participating in government programs simply because of their religious practice,” Thomson said. “Membership in religious organizations is a core constitutional right protected by law.” First Amendment. The fact that the government is interfering in this is a blatant violation of the constitution.”

Fox News Digital reached out to the Minnesota Department of Education and the Commissioner’s Office. They did not respond to multiple requests for comment.