Colpa, Six Jewish Groups, File Suits in Segregated, Non-public School Cases

The National Jewish Commission on Law and Public Affairs (COLPA) has filed a brief In the United States District Court for the District of Columbia opposing tax exempt status for segregated private schools set up to evade Judicial decisions outlawing segregation In public schools. The brief was submitted in connection with the Internal Revenue Service’s decision to grant tax exempt status to a private school established by white parents in Mississippi which refuses to accept non-White pupils. A suit attacking the grant has been brought by a number of individuals. COLPA, which specializes In cases involving Orthodox Jewish groups, said It entered the case to counter arguments by proponents of tax exemption that would equate segregated private schools with parochial schools. COLPA and nine Orthodox organizations were recently involved In a case In which the United States Supreme Court upheld tax exempt status for religious institutions. In an unrelated case, six national Jewish organizations filed a “friend of the court” brief with the U.S. Supreme Court yesterday challenging the constitutionality of a Pennsylvania law providing state support for non-public schools. The organizations are the American Jewish Committee, American Jewish Congress, Anti-Defamation League of B’nai B’rith, the Central Conference of American Rabbis, the National Council of Jewish Women and the Union of American Hebrew Congregations. Their brief argues that the Pennsylvania statute violates the First Amendment because it allocates funds to sectarian schools thus Involving the state In the propagation of religion.