Video surging 13x the video's usual pace

Catholic schools seek admissions exemption for children with gay or trans relatives

NPR's Nina Totenberg explains a Supreme Court dispute over the conditions Colorado can attach to taxpayer-funded preschool places.

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NPR Story of November 4, 2026Trari Newsroom

Why this story? The video is running at 139,484 views a day, 13 times its usual pace (10,607).

Can Catholic schools receive government funds refuse children of gay or trans parents?

What conditions can a state attach to the preschool places it pays for? Colorado allows religious schools into its taxpayer-funded pre-K program, but requires participating schools to follow its anti-discrimination rules. Some Catholic schools are challenging that condition.

Nina Totenberg's NPR report lays out the dispute: the Denver Archdiocese and two parishes want an exemption that would let their schools refuse admission to children with gay or trans family members while receiving public funds.

The report, published Sunday, added about 140,000 views in a day, roughly thirteen times its usual daily pace. Its subject is a specific admissions policy, but the arguments reach into a broader question about religious freedom and access to public programs.

Former Colorado State Senate President Steve Fenberg explains the state's condition: participating schools must allow all students to enroll without discrimination. Mark Rienzi, CEO of the Becket Fund for Religious Liberty, which represents the challengers, argues that Colorado is excluding schools because of their religious beliefs. "They're only excluding religious schools that are organized around beliefs that Colorado doesn't like," he says.

Totenberg also notes a distinction within Catholic education itself: some Catholic school leaders support Colorado's position. The report presents a dispute not simply between the state and religious schools, but also over what accepting public funding should require.

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