ACLJ Asks Supreme Court to Find Ohio School Voucher Program Constitutional - ACLJ Urges Court to...

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WASHINGTON--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Nov. 9, 2001

The American Center for Law and Justice, an international public interest law firm, said it is filing a friend-of-the-court brief with the U.S. Supreme Court today urging the high court to overturn

"The issue before the court is one of the most important church-state issues of the term," said Jay Sekulow, Chief Counsel of the ACLJ. "This case puts the issue of school choice front and center and really focuses on whether it is permissible to single out religious schools by excluding them from consideration. The Ohio school voucher program is not about funding religion - it represents a sound and constitutionally acceptable method for parents to select the kind of education they want for their children. The Ohio plan does not advance or endorse religion - it merely provides parents with a sensible method of selecting a school. To exclude religious schools in a voucher program is a discriminatory move that sends a message of hostility toward religion - a message inconsistent with the Establishment Clause."

The amicus brief is being filed today on behalf of the ACLJ and on behalf of Dr. James Dobson and his Colorado-based ministry, Focus on the Family, which is committed to strengthening the family.

The Supreme Court agreed in September to decide whether a voucher program in Cleveland - which provides tuition vouchers that can be used at private or parochial schools that participate in the program - is constitutional. The Ohio Supreme Court approved the program, but a federal appeals court struck it down.

In its brief, the ACLJ contends the appeals court was wrong when it determined that the Cleveland program violated the Establishment Clause. The brief contends the program does not endorse, advance, or favor religion by permitting parents to use a voucher at a participating school they select - even if the school is religious. The brief contends the Ohio program merely levels the playing field for religious schools and urges the high court to reverse the decision of the appeals court.

The American Center for Law and Justice is an international public interest law firm that focuses on constitutional issues and specializes in religious liberty work. The ACLJ is headquartered in Virginia Beach, VA and the web site address is www.aclj.org.