Locke v. Davey
United States Supreme Court
540 U.S. 714 (2004)
Relevant factsFree
Washington's Promise Scholarship Program funded postsecondary education for academically gifted students but excluded degrees in devotional theology; Joshua Davey (plaintiff) discovered he couldn't use his scholarship toward a pastoral ministries major at a private Christian college, and sued state official Locke (defendant), arguing the exclusion violated his Free Exercise rights. The district court rejected his claim, the court of appeals reversed, and the Supreme Court granted certiorari.
IssueFree
Whether a state's denial of government scholarship funding specifically for devotional theology degrees violates the Free Exercise Clause of the First Amendment.