Mid Vermont Christian School Back in Court

Religious Freedom,
Mid Vermont Christian School basketball players outside of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 2nd Circuit in New York City on April 9, 2025.

Attorneys representing a Christian school in Vermont were back in court on Friday after state officials refused to include the school in state programs.

The Mid Vermont Christian School (MVCS) believes that human beings are created either male or female. In 2023, the MVCS girls’ basketball team decided to forfeit a game rather than violate its religious convictions by forcing its girls to play against a team with a male player.

But the Vermont Principals Association decided to punish the school for forfeiting the game by kicking it out of the sports league. That led to a major court battle — and a $566,000 settlement for damages and attorneys’ fees to Mid Vermont Christian School.

While the principals association has settled the suit, our friends at Alliance Defending Freedom say state officials have continued to exclude all religious schools — including MVCS — and their students from participating in the state’s tuition program and other public benefit programs.

On Friday, the U.S. District Court for the District of Vermont heard the case.

In a statement, Alliance Defending Freedom Legal Counsel Jake Reed said,

“Religious schools and the families they serve aren’t second-class citizens. Yet Vermont continues to treat them as such by excluding them from a public benefit available to other secular schools. All parents should be able to send their kids to schools that are the best fit for them, and the First Amendment protects parents’ right to choose religious schools.”

We appreciate our friends at Alliance Defending Freedom standing for religious liberty in court.

Articles appearing on this website are written with the aid of Family Council’s researchers and writers.

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Basketball Team’s Full Court Press for Religious Liberty Pays Off

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Above: Mid Vermont Christian School basketball players outside of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 2nd Circuit in New York City on April 9, 2025 (Photo Credit: Alliance Defending Freedom).

A Christian school in Vermont recently won a major legal victory — and the price tag for violating its constitutional rights was steep.

The Mid Vermont Christian School (MVCS) believes that human beings are created either male or female. In 2023, the MVCS girls’ basketball team decided to forfeit a game rather than violate its religious convictions by forcing its girls to play against a team with a male player. But the Vermont Principals Association decided to punish the school for forfeiting the game by kicking it out of the sports league. That led to a major court battle — and a victory for MVCS.

Now the Vermont Principals Association has agreed to pay a $566,000 settlement for damages and attorneys’ fees to Mid Vermont Christian School.

Our friends at Alliance Defending Freedom represented the school in court. ADF Senior Counsel David Cortman put it plainly: “The government cannot punish religious schools — and the families they serve — by permanently kicking them out of state-sponsored sports simply because the state disagrees with their religious beliefs.”

Stories like this one are part of the reason Arkansas passed Act 461 by Sen. Missy Irvin (R — Mountain View) and Rep. Sonia Barker (R — Smackover) in 2021 to protects fairness in women’s sports in Arkansas.

Letting men compete in women’s sports is unfair and reverses 50 years of advancements for women. Female cyclists, swimmers, powerlifters, sprinters, volleyball players, and others have seen their sports radically changed by men who claim to be women. In some cases it can even be dangerous.

Right now the U.S. Supreme Court is considering a federal case that could affect state laws like Arkansas’ Act 461. Family Council joined dozens of state policy organizations and more than 200 state legislators in a legal brief in that case last September.

Most Americans agree that athletes should compete according to their biological sex — not their gender identity. This settlement between Mid Vermont Christian School and the Vermont Principals Association is a victory for religious freedom, fairness in girls’ sports, and common sense.

Articles appearing on this website are written with the aid of Family Council’s researchers and writers.

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Arkansas Watches as Appeals Court Rules Ten Commandments Can Stay in Texas Classrooms

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A federal appeals court ruled last week that Texans can display the Ten Commandments in public school classrooms.

The Ten Commandments are one of the earliest examples of the rule of law in human history, and federal courts have ruled that state and local governments can recognize their longstanding tradition and influence in American society. But groups like the ACLU have opposed public displays of the Ten Commandments nationwide.

The 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals said last week that Texas’ law placing the Ten Commandments in school classrooms does not violate the First Amendment’s Establishment Clause. The court noted that “no child is required to recite the Commandments, believe them, or affirm their divine origin.”

This is not the first victory we have seen in the 5th Circuit this year. Louisiana has a similar Ten Commandments law, and the 5th Circuit lifted an injunction against it in February.

Arkansans should pay close attention to these court cases in Texas and Louisiana. Last year, Arkansas enacted a law letting people donate posters of the Ten Commandments to be displayed in public school classrooms and public buildings. Unfortunately, a federal judge has ruled against the posters at schools in Arkansas.

The 5th Circuit’s decision is a strong signal that laws like Arkansas’ are on solid constitutional ground. With that in mind, we believe our federal courts ultimately will uphold the law and let Arkansans display the Ten Commandments in public school classrooms.

Articles appearing on this website are written with the aid of Family Council’s researchers and writers.

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