The Playground Case

The Playground CaseTrinity Lutheran Church of Columbia v. Comer

Latest News:

Jul 12, 2017

Trinity Lutheran goes back to normal after Supreme Court victory

http://www.patheos.com/blogs/geneveith/2017/07/trinity-lutheran-goes-back-to-normal-after-supreme-court-victory/

Jul 12, 2017

The Supreme Court, religion and the future of school choice

https://theconversation.com/the-supreme-court-religion-and-the-future-of-school-choice-80588

Jul 5, 2017

the world and everything in it Legal Docket and a public lands dispute in Utah

https://overcast.fm/+G81i3GX8Q/7:19

Jul 3, 2017

Blaine’s Descendants Disinherited

http://www.libertylawsite.org/2017/07/03/blaines-descendants-disinherited/

Jun 30, 2017

Religious Liberty Lives

https://www.wsj.com/articles/religious-liberty-lives-1498517321?mod=fbads&nan_pid=1860701362&ad_id=6284302

Jun 30, 2017

Paving a Playground, and Weeding the Unruly Garden of Religious Liberty

http://www.thepublicdiscourse.com/2017/06/19675/

Jun 30, 2017

Religious Liberty Wins Again in the Supreme Court

http://www.crisismagazine.com/2017/religious-liberty-wins-supreme-court

Jun 30, 2017

Guest commentary: Supreme Court’s Trinity Lutheran decision was about fairness

http://www.kansascity.com/opinion/readers-opinion/guest-commentary/article158449644.html

Jun 28, 2017

How the Media Covered Trinity Lutheran

Jun 27, 2017

A Victory at SCOTUS for Religious Freedom

http://www.weeklystandard.com/a-victory-at-scotus-for-religious-freedom/article/2008630

Jun 27, 2017

The Supreme Court Strikes Down a Major Church-State Barrier

https://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2017/06/trinity-lutheran/531399/

Jun 27, 2017

Opinion analysis: Church prevails in funding dispute

http://www.scotusblog.com/2017/06/opinion-analysis-church-prevails-funding-dispute/

Jun 27, 2017

Big News from the U.S. Supreme Court!

Jun 26, 2017

Supreme Court Protects Religious Freedom In Trinity Lutheran Case

https://www.forbes.com/sites/briankmiller/2017/06/26/supreme-court-protects-religious-freedom-in-trinity-lutheran-case/#152a67e04415

Jun 26, 2017

Supreme Court Trinity Lutheran Church decision - saying 'no' to discrimination against religious groups

http://www.foxnews.com/opinion/2017/06/26/supreme-court-trinity-lutheran-church-decision-saying-no-to-discrimination-against-religious-groups.html

Jun 26, 2017

How The Supreme Court’s Trinity Lutheran Decision Could Affect Anti-Religious Laws

http://thefederalist.com/2017/06/26/supreme-courts-trinity-lutheran-decision-affect-anti-religious-laws/

Jun 26, 2017

Why Trinity Lutheran Matters

http://www.russellmoore.com/2017/06/26/trinity-lutheran-matters/

Jun 26, 2017

Top quotes from the Trinity Lutheran Supreme Court win

http://erlc.com/resource-library/articles/top-quotes-from-the-trinity-lutheran-supreme-court-win

Jun 26, 2017

Play On: Supreme Court Gives Christian Schools a Big Victory

http://www.christianitytoday.com/news/2017/june/supreme-court-playground-trinity-lutheran-gorsuch-fair-play.html

May 3, 2017

U.S. Supreme Court takes up Missouri case on church-state interaction

http://www.whig.com/20170502/us-supreme-court-takes-up-missouri-case-on-church-state-interaction

Apr 27, 2017

The Roberts Court, 2017 Edition

https://www.nytimes.com/2017/04/27/opinion/the-roberts-court-2017-edition.html

Apr 27, 2017

The Sights and Sounds of the Supreme Court

Apr 25, 2017

Legal Docket, the Monday Moneybeat, the road ahead for self-driving cars [Audio]

http://podcast.assets.wng.org/worldandeverything-2017Apr24-960debd.mp3

Apr 25, 2017

Podcast: Religious liberty at the Supreme Court

https://constitutioncenter.org/blog/podcast-religious-liberty-at-the-supreme-court

Apr 25, 2017

How the Media Reported on Trinity Lutheran at the Supreme Court

Apr 20, 2017

Oral Arguments at the Supreme Court: What You Need to Know

Apr 19, 2017

Is It Okay To Ban Nonprofits From Tax-Funded Programs Solely Because They’re Religious?

http://thefederalist.com/2017/04/19/is-it-okay-to-ban-recipients-from-tax-funded-programs-solely-because-theyre-religious/

Apr 19, 2017

4 Big Questions About the Supreme Court’s New Religious Freedom Case

http://dailysignal.com/2017/04/18/4-big-questions-about-the-supreme-courts-new-religious-freedom-case/

Apr 19, 2017

Missouri playground at center of Supreme Court church-state dispute

https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/2017/04/18/missouri-playground-center-supreme-court-church-state-dispute/100578996/

Apr 19, 2017

David Cortman, of Alliance Defending Freedom, Hours Before He Argues “Trinity Lutheran v. Comer” Before SCOTUS [Audio]

http://www.hughhewitt.com/david-cortman-alliance-defending-freedom-hours-argues-trinity-lutheran-v-comer-scotus/

Apr 19, 2017

What the playground can teach the government about fair play: Column

https://www.usatoday.com/story/opinion/2017/04/19/what-playground-can-teach-government-fair-play-column/100593508/

News Alert: Trinity Lutheran Wins! Supreme Court Rules Missouri Engaged in Religious Discrimination

Trinity Lutheran Church operates a preschool in Missouri. In 2012, Trinity applied for a playground resurfacing grant from the state. Obtaining the grant would allow Trinity to receive reimbursement for resurfacing its playground with a safer pour-in-place rubber surface made from recycled tires.

The state awarded 14 grants that year, but while Trinity’s application was ranked 5th out of 44 applications, the church was denied. Missouri determined that its state establishment clause forbids it from providing an available benefit to children—a safe playground surface—simply because the playground is on church property.

The term’s remaining marquee case.

- Adam Liptak, New York Times

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Meet Trinity Lutheran Church

Trinity Lutheran Church has faithfully served the people of Columbia, Missouri for over 90 years. Whether providing support for foster children, donating labor, food, and funds to a local county food bank, or helping with Habitat for Humanity building projects all over the community, Trinity Lutheran Church lives its mission to make disciples.

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Trinity Lutheran Church of Columbia v. Comer is one of the most important religious liberty cases before the U.S. Supreme Court in years. This case is about a religious preschool that was rejected from a state program that provides reimbursement grants to purchase rubberized surface material (tire scraps) for children’s playgrounds. The preschool was ultimately denied the grant for its playground solely because the playground belongs to a religious organization. At its core, the Trinity Lutheran playground case strikes at the heart of American jurisprudence, asking: What is fair play in a pluralistic society?

Frequently Asked Questions

Q. Who uses the playground at Trinity Lutheran’s Learning Center?

A. The preschool has an “open gate” playground policy. It is used by the preschool students and open to all in the community. The playground is frequently used by children in the neighborhood after-hours and on the weekends.

Q. What is Missouri’s Scrap Tire Grant Program?

A. The state program provides reimbursement to non-profit organizations for rubber safety flooring for their playgrounds, using recycled tire scraps to make a “pour-in-place” rubber surface.

Q. Why did Missouri create the Scrap Tire Grant Program?

A. To decrease the amount of used tires in Missouri’s landfills and illegal dump sites and foster children’s safety.

Q. How does Missouri evaluate who is eligible for the Scrap Tire Grant Program?

A. The state ranks application according to secular and neutral criteria. Some of the criteria include whether the application describes the project in adequate detail, whether the project utilizes scrap tires from within the state, the percentage of low income families in the school and the community, and whether the school presents a detailed plan for installation.

See All Frequently Asked Questions