Federal judge rejects Bangor religious school’s request to suspend anti-discrimination laws

A federal judge has issued a final ruling against a Bangor church that challenged a recent Maine law restricting discrimination in schools that accept public funds.

The 2021 law amended the Maine Human Rights Act and prohibited schools that receive public funds from discriminating based on gender identity, sexual orientation and religion.

It was a preemptive response to a U.S. Supreme Court ruling a year later that allowed religious schools to participate in a state program that provides tuition fees to students in communities where there are no public high schools.