HOUSTON (Talk1370.com) -- U.S. District Judge Alfred Bennett issued a court order Tuesday extending the application deadline for Texas’ private school voucher program to March 31.
The ruling follows a lawsuit filed by four Muslim parents and three Islamic schools alleging religious discrimination after they were barred from participating.
The state’s acting comptroller, Kelly Hancock, had excluded the schools citing alleged associations with foreign terrorist groups. Specifically, Hancock pointed to schools accredited by Cognia that hosted events for the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR). The plaintiffs argue these claims are unfounded, noting that CAIR does not appear on any federal terrorist watchlists.
The extension halts the state’s plan to begin a lottery for the $1 billion in available funds.
Demand for the program has already exceeded the available supply of funds, with over 200,000 students having applied for for the 2026-27 school year.
