Case blocking state funding for Catholic trade school advances

The Kanawha County Circuit Court has allowed a lawsuit against the West Virginia Water Development Authority to proceed, challenging a $5 million grant for a Catholic trade school. The ACLU-WV, representing the American Humanist Association, argues that the funding to the College of St. Joseph the Worker violates the state's Establishment Clause by compelling taxpayers to support a religious institution. The grant is intended for workforce training in skilled trades but also promotes religious education. ACLU representatives highlighted the pressing issue of clean water access for thousands in West Virginia, asserting that taxpayer funds should focus on infrastructure needs, not religious missions.

The college's proposal includes creating a construction company and a branch campus, alongside a think tank for conservative policy advocacy. The court's ruling is a pivotal moment in the discourse over church-state separation and public funding. The state maintains that the grant serves a secular economic purpose, which the ACLU contests. The case's progress could set a precedent for how similar funding requests are evaluated in the future.