Baltimore, Md., Nov 27, 2019 / 11:30 am
The United States Department of Justice on Tuesday filed a statement of interest in support of a Christian school in Maryland that says it was banned from a voucher program due to its religious beliefs.
The DOJ said it found no evidence that the school had discriminated against students or violated the rules for religious schools set forth by the voucher program.
Bethel Ministries, an ecclesial community that runs Bethel Christian Academy, filed a lawsuit in June against the Maryland Department of Education, after the department disqualified the academy from participating in the state's Broadening Options and Opportunities for Students Today (BOOST) voucher program, which benefits low-income students.
The school claims it was disqualified from the program on account of its religious beliefs in Christian marriage and sexuality, stated in its handbook. The handbook was reviewed by the state's department of education before the school was banned from the program.