“Forcing Maine residents to pay for religious education – particularly at private schools that can discriminate against students – is a fundamental violation of religious freedom,” said Alex J. Luchenitser, AU’s associate legal director. “The court should reject this lawsuit and maintain the state’s current protections that ensure that taxpayers aren’t compelled to support religious beliefs with which they may not agree.”

Americans United, the American Civil Liberties Union and the ACLU of Maine in late October filed a motion to intervene in a case in Maine regarding the use of taxpayer funds to pay tuition at schools that indoctrinate children in religion.

“It is a fundamental violation of religious freedom to force Maine taxpayers to support education in religious beliefs which they do not hold,” said Alex J. Luchenitser, Americans United’s associate legal director. “And taxpayers should never be compelled to support discrimination, which some private religious schools practice.”