Summer is upon us and the Supreme Court is preparing to go on break but not without ruling on a case the nation has been watching: can a Christian school revamp a playground with tax funding? Separation of church and state was at the heart of this rubberized playground battle which began in Missouri after Trinity Lutheran was denied a grant for state funding to have its playground upgraded via resurfacing simply because it was a church.
The court ruled 7-2 in favor of the funding, yet what is key here is an added footnote in the decision that clarifies that this addresses only this issue of religious discrimination with regard to playground resurfacing. The Los Angeles Times reported that Justices Anthony M. Kennedy, Samuel A. Alito Jr., and Elena Kagan agreed entirely, while Justices Clarence Thomas and Neil M. Gorsuch agreed except for the footnote. The decision has elicited a serious of opinions – some citing victory while others cite that the line between state and church is blurring.
Read more here.