Federal judge hears case filed by Christian preschool against Colorado's Universal Preschool program
A federal lawsuit against Colorado's Universal Preschool (UPK) Program made its way before a judge on Thursday.
"We want to provide opportunities, all the opportunities we can, to our staff, our students and families while remaining true to our religious beliefs," said Josh Drexler, head of school for Darren Patterson Christian Academy (DPCA) in Buena Vista.
Like many other schools across the state, DPCA's Busy Bees Preschool applied for the UPK program, where the state pays providers to cover the cost of some children attending preschool.
The service agreement to participate states, "Provider shall not discriminate against any person on the basis of gender, race, ethnicity, religion, national origin, age, sexual orientation, gender identity, citizenship status, education, disability, socio-economic status, or any other identity."
DPCA acknowledges their religious-based hiring practices and ideologies regarding sexual orientation may violate that rule.