TAXPAYERS PUB. EDUC. v. DOUGLAS CNTY. SCH.

Supreme Court Case No. 13SC233.

351 P.3d 461 (2015)

2015 CO 50

TAXPAYERS FOR PUBLIC EDUCATION; Cindra S. Barnard; Mason S. Barnard; James LaRue; Suzanne T. LaRue; Interfaith Alliance of Colorado; Rabbi Joel R. Schwartzman; Rev. Malcolm Himschoot; Kevin Leung; Christian Moreau; Maritza Carrera; and Susan McMahon, Petitioners, v. DOUGLAS COUNTY SCHOOL DISTRICT, Douglas County Board of Education, Colorado State Board of Education, and Colorado Department of Education, Respondents, and Florence and Derrick Doyle, on their own behalf and as next friends of their children, A.D. and D.D.; Diana Oakley and Mark Oakley, on their own behalf and as next friends of their child, N.O.; and Jeanette Strohm-Anderson and Mark Anderson, on their own behalf and as next friends of their child, M.A., Intervenors-Respondents.

Supreme Court of Colorado.

June 29, 2015.


Attorney(s) appearing for the Case

Attorneys for Petitioners Taxpayers for Public Education, Cindra S. Barnard , and Mason S. Barnard: Faegre Baker Daniels LLP, Michael S. McCarthy , Bruce Jones , Colin C. Deihl , Caroline G. Lee , Denver, Colorado.

Attorneys for Petitioners James LaRue , Suzanne T. LaRue , Interfaith Alliance of Colorado, Rabbi Joel R. Schwartzman , Rev. Malcolm Himschoot, Kevin Leung , Christian Moreau , Maritza Carrera , and Susan McMahon: Arnold & Porter LLP, Matthew J. Douglas , Timothy R. MacDonald , Michelle K. Albert , Denver, Colorado, American Civil Liberties Union Foundation of Colorado, Mark Silverstein , Sara Rich , Denver, Colorado, ACLU Foundation Program on Freedom of Religion and Belief, Daniel Mach , Heather L. Weaver , Washington, DC, Americans United for Separation of Church and State, Ayesha N. Khan , Alex J. Luchenitser , Washington, DC.

Attorneys for Respondents Douglas County School District and Douglas County Board of Education: Lewis Roca Rothgerber LLP, James M. Lyons , Eric V. Hall , Denver, Colorado.

Attorneys for Respondents Colorado State Board of Education and Colorado Department of Education: Cynthia H. Coffman , Attorney General, Michael Francisco , Assistant Solicitor General, Antony B. Dyl , Senior Assistant Attorney General, Denver, Colorado.

Attorneys for Intervenors-Respondents: Wilkinson Barker Knauer, LLP, Raymond L. Gifford , Denver, Colorado, Institute for Justice, Michael E. Bindas , Bellevue, Washington, Institute for Justice, William H. Mellor , Richard D. Komer , Arlington, Virginia, Institute for Justice, Timothy D. Keller , Tempe, Arizona.

Attorneys for Amici Curiae American Federation of Teachers and The Education Law Center: Law Office of Elizabeth L. Harris, LLC, Elizabeth L. Harris , Denver, Colorado, Kathleen J. Gebhardt, LLC, Kathleen J. Gebhardt , Boulder, Colorado.

Attorneys for Amici Curiae Anti-Defamation League; Baptist Joint Committee for Religious Liberty; Central Conference of American Rabbis; Disciples Justice Action Network; Equal Partners in Faith; Hadassah, The Women's Zionist Organization of America, Inc.; Hindu American Foundation; Jewish Social Policy Action Network; Union for Reform Judaism; and Women of Reform Judaism: Wheeler Trigg O'Donnell LLP, Craig R. May , Allison McLaughlin , Denver, Colorado, Mayer Brown LLP, Andrew L. Frey, Richard B. Katskee , Matthew A. Waring , Washington, DC.

Attorneys for Amici Curiae Association of Christian Schools International, Catholic Diocese of Colorado Springs, Colorado Christian University, and Council for Christian Colleges & Universities: Bryan Cave LLP, Stuart J. Lark , Colorado Springs, Colorado, Alliance Defending Freedom, Gregory S. Baylor , Washington, DC.

Attorneys for Amicus Curiae Colorado Education Association: Colorado Education Association, Bradley Bartels , Denver, Colorado.

Attorneys for Amicus Curiae The Becket Fund for Religious Liberty: Sparks Willson Borges Brandt & Johnson P.C., Scott W. Johnson , Colorado Springs, Colorado, The Becket Fund for Religious Liberty, Diana M. Verm , Luke W. Goodrich , Washington, DC.

Attorneys for Amicus Curiae Colorado Association of School Boards: Colorado Association of School Boards, Kathleen A. Sullivan , Elizabeth Friel , Denver, Colorado.

Attorneys for Amici Curiae The Independence Institute and The Friedman Foundation for Educational Choice: Independence Institute, David B. Kopel , Denver, Colorado.

Attorneys for Amicus Curiae National Education Association: Recht Kornfeld PC, Mark Grueskin , Denver, Colorado, National Education Association, Alice O'Brien , Philip A. Hostak , Kristen Hollar , Washington, D.C.

Attorneys for Amicus Curiae Pacific Legal Foundation: Sherman & Howard, LLC, Ryan J. Klein , Colorado Springs, Colorado, Pacific Legal Foundation, Joshua P. Thompson , Sacramento, California.

En Banc.


¶ 1 Four years ago, the Douglas County School District ("the District") implemented its Choice Scholarship Pilot Program ("the CSP"), a grant mechanism that awarded taxpayer-funded scholarships to qualifying elementary, middle, and high school students. Those students could use their scholarships...

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