HART V. NORTH CAROLINA (SUPREME COURT OF NORTH CAROLINA, 2015) RICHARDSON V. NORTH CAROLINA (SUPREME COURT OF NORTH CAROLINA, 2015)

At issue in these cases is the constitutionality of a North Carolina school vouchers program called the Opportunity Scholarship Program. Although secular and religious private schools are eligible to receive vouchers under the program, close to three quarters of participating schools are religious. As a result, the program effectively diverts millions of public-education-fund dollars to religious schools, many of which infuse religion into their curricula; discriminate in admissions and employment on the basis of religion, disability and other grounds; and are subject to minimal academic standards. ADL joined an amicus brief arguing that the North Carolina Supreme Court should affirm a lower court decision, which ruled that the program did not serve a public purpose in violation of the North Carolina State Constitution.