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Loe v. Walz

May 2023
Crown College (Private college or university)
St Bonifacius, MN

Identity of Speakers

  • Mark and Melinda Leo
    Unaffiliated
    Other

    Plaintiffs, Parents

  • Dawn Erickson
    Unaffiliated
    Other

    Plaintiff, Parent

  • Crown College
    Faculty/Staff
    Other

    Plaintiff, Christian College Located in Saint Bonifacius, Minnesota

  • University of Northwestern - St. Paul
    Faculty/Staff
    Other

    Plaintiff, Christian university located in St. Paul, Minnesota

Resources

Additional Information

  • Incident Nature:
    Lawsuit
    Other
  • Incident Political Orientation:
    Not Clear
  • Incident Responses:
    Litigation
  • Incident Status:
    In litigation Federal District Court
    Held unconstitutional
  • Did not involve Speech Codes

Summary

Parents Mark and Melinda Loe, Dawn Erickson, and several high school students who were enrolled or sought enrollment at faith-based institutions filed a federal lawsuit, Loe v. Walz, on May 24, 2023, in the U.S. District Court for the District of Minnesota. They challenged a Minnesota statute that barred colleges in the state’s Postsecondary Enrollment Options (PSEO) program from requiring students to sign statements of faith. The plaintiffs argued that the law violated their First Amendment rights by restricting their ability to choose schools aligned with their religious beliefs and effectively excluded religious colleges from the PSEO program. Minnesota officials defended the law, stating it was intended to protect students from discrimination based on religion, sexual orientation, or gender identity within the PSEO program.

The law, enacted in May 2023, specifically affected Crown College in St. Bonifacius and the University of Northwestern in Roseville, both conservative Christian institutions that required students to agree to faith commitments as a condition of enrollment. The law went into effect on July 1, 2023, barring religious colleges that required statements of faith from participating in the PSEO program.

On June 14, 2023, U.S. District Judge Nancy Brasel issued a preliminary injunction, temporarily blocking enforcement of the law while the case proceeded. This allowed Crown College and the University of Northwestern to continue participating in the PSEO program. The state filed counterclaims on November 6, 2023, arguing that the schools’ requirement for students to sign faith statements violated constitutional provisions.

On August 22, 2025, Judge Brasel ruled in favor of the plaintiffs, declaring the 2023 law unconstitutional. She found that prohibiting statements of faith as a condition of enrollment infringed upon the religious freedoms of both institutions and prospective students. The court indicated that the law would remain on hold through the next academic year if no final decision was reached.