Bethel Ministries v. Salmon

Maryland officials revoked a church-run school’s eligibility to participate in a voucher program to benefit low-income students and demanded the school pay back thousands of dollars for previous participation in the program. Although the school fully complied with the program’s requirements, state officials disqualified Bethel from participating in the program after reading Bethel’s Christian beliefs about marriage and sexuality, even though the school has not—and will not—turn down a student based on their sexual orientation. The school only simply asks students to refrain from engaging in any sexual conduct.

Case timeline

• June 2019: Bethel Ministries, with the help of ADF, filed a federal lawsuit against the state of Maryland.
• September 2019: Bethel asked a federal district court to stop the state from punishing the school for its beliefs while this lawsuit continues.
• November 2019: The U.S. Department of Justice filed a statement of interest in the case in support of Bethel.
• December 2021: The court ruled that state officials violated Bethel Christian Academy’s First Amendment rights when they kicked the school out of the school voucher program because it expressed its religious beliefs. The court confirmed that Bethel never discriminated against students, and it ruled that Bethel does not have to pay back over $102,000 for its previous participation in the program.