NEA responds to Supreme Court decision in 303 Creative, Inc., v. Elenis

WASHINGTON — The U.S. Supreme Court issued a decision today in 303 Creative, Inc., v. Elenis, holding that a website designer has a First Amendment right to refuse service to same-sex couples if she makes wedding websites, even though state law prohibits discrimination based on sexual orientation.

The following statement can be attributed to NEA President Becky Pringle:

“From our freedom to decide whom to love, to our freedom to decide if and when to have a family, to our freedom to read, teach, and learn, our hard-earned freedoms are again under attack. This time, by an out-of-touch Supreme Court that continues to issue decisions that do not reflect the values or views of the majority of Americans.

“More to the point, this ruling effectively further rolls back the freedoms and rights of LGBTQ+ people. This is another example of the court’s contempt for democratically enacted civil rights protections and its quest to undermine them in any way possible. This court won’t deter us. We will continue to fight for the rights and freedoms many of us have spent a lifetime working to secure.

“It’s time for Americans across races, places, and political parties to come together to protect our freedoms. We call on the White House and Congress to hold the Supreme Court to the same laws and standards as the rest of us. And the White House and the Senate must continue to fill all judicial vacancies with qualified, fair-minded individuals who are committed to civil and human rights and social and economic justice.”

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The National Education Association is the nation’s largest professional employee organization, representing more than 3 million elementary and secondary teachers, higher education faculty, education support professionals, school administrators, retired educators, students preparing to become teachers, healthcare workers, and public employees. Learn more at www.nea.org.