Paxton Sues Texas Higher Ed Board Over Religious Restrictions

Texas state-funded work-study programs unlawfully exclude religious organizations and students enrolled in seminary, Attorney General Ken Paxton (R) alleges in a lawsuit that his office announced Friday.

The request for an injunction under the First Amendment puts Paxton, the state’s top lawyer, in opposition to the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board, the state agency that administers grants in three university work programs.

The programs deny access to students or organizations in sectarian activities, Paxton’s lawyers wrote in the lawsuit in state court. That violates federal and state laws that prohibit Texas from excluding religious organizations from public benefits based on ...