The Diocese of Charleston presented its oral argument before the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit on Dec. 7 for the Bishop of Charleston v. Adams lawsuit.
The diocese is suing the state of South Carolina over the Blaine Amendment, which was included in the state constitution in 1895 and again in a 1973 revision. The diocese stands firm in its position that the Blaine Amendment is a racist, classist and religiously discriminatory act, which was used to deny appropriate COVID-19 emergency relief funding to Catholic and independent schools.
Much of the Dec. 7 hearing focused on sovereign immunity, or whether the state could be a subject of the lawsuit filed against several officials, including Gov. Henry McMaster, because it was an intervening defendant in the case. The court did not indicate when a ruling will be issued.
The diocese will continue to fight this unjust provision. We pray for a day in South Carolina where all children are provided a quality education, no matter the color of their skin, religion they profess, ZIP code or socioeconomic status.