Summary
Darren Patterson Christian Academy in Buena Vista applied for and obtained approval to participate in Colorado’s new universal preschool program, which guarantees every four-year-old in the state at least 15 hours per week of state-funded preschool services for the upcoming school year. The Colorado Department of Early Childhood, however, is mandating that, for the school to participate in the program and receive critical state funding, it must hire employees who do not share its faith and alter internal rules and policies that are based on the school’s religious beliefs about sexuality and gender—including those that relate to restroom usage, pronouns, dress codes, and student housing during expeditions and field trips.
Case Timeline
- April 2022: Colorado passed a law establishing its universal preschool program, which went into effect in 2023. To participate in the program, religious schools like Darren Patterson Christian Academy must agree to rules that would force them to violate their beliefs.
- May 2023: Darren Patterson Christian Academy asked Colorado for a religious exemption that would allow it to participate in the program without violating its beliefs, but it was denied.
- June 2023: ADF attorneys filed a lawsuit on the school’s behalf.
- October 2023: A federal district court ruled to allow the school to participate in the program consistent with its religious beliefs while the lawsuit proceeded.
- February 2025: The district court granted ADF’s motion for summary judgment, fully protecting Darren Patterson’s ability to participate in the program and bringing an end to the case.
