Muslim Parents, Schools File Federal Suits Against Texas Over Voucher Program Exclusion

Muslim Parents, Schools File Federal Suits Against Texas Over Voucher Program Exclusion
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Four Muslim parents and three private schools have filed federal lawsuits challenging Texas state officials for excluding Islamic schools from the state’s private school voucher program, according to The Texas Tribune.

The lawsuits argue that the exclusion constitutes religious discrimination. The first suit, filed on March 1 by a parent representing two children attending Houston Qur’an Academy Spring, names Attorney General Ken Paxton, Acting Comptroller Kelly Hancock, and Education Commissioner Mike Morath as defendants. A second suit, filed March 11 by three parents and three schools—Bayaan Academy, Islamic Services Foundation, and The Eagle Institute—targets Hancock and Mary Katherine Stout, the program manager.

The legal action follows Texas Senate Bill 2, signed in 2025 by Governor Greg Abbott, which created a statewide voucher program allowing families to use public funds for private or home-school education. Over 143,000 students and more than 2,100 schools have applied or been accepted to the program, but no Islamic schools are known to have been approved.

The plaintiffs allege that officials, citing connections to organizations designated by Abbott as terrorist groups—including CAIR, which the U.S. State Department has not classified as such—have systematically blocked Islamic schools, despite their compliance with accreditation and eligibility requirements.

The lawsuits ask courts to require the state to admit all qualified Islamic schools and prevent denials based on religious identity, alleged “Islamic ties,” or generalized associations with Muslim civil rights organizations. Plaintiffs argue that the exclusion harms students and families, who cannot access nearly $10,500 per child in voucher funding.