Education Law Commons^™

Does Free Exercise Mean Free State Funding? In Davey V. Locke, The Ninth Circuit Undervalued Washington's Vision Of Religious Liberty, Derek D. Green

Washington Law Review

In Davey v. Locke, a panel of the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit ruled that Washington violated the Free Exercise Clause by refusing to allow a scholarship recipient to use state funds to pursue a theology degree. The court held that the state's scholarship requirements facially discriminated against religion, and that the state's interest in not violating its constitution did not serve as a compelling reason for the discrimination. In so holding, the Davey court ignored Ninth Circuit precedent and embraced a theory of the Religion Clauses at odds with United States Supreme Court jurisprudence. …