Texas Sued for Blocking Every Islamic School From Billion Voucher Program

Muslim Parent Sues Texas Over Islamic School Exclusion From $1 Billion Voucher Program

A Houston area Muslim father has filed a federal lawsuit against Texas officials, alleging the state's new Education Freedom Accounts (TEFA) program systematically excludes Islamic private schools while approving hundreds of Christian institutions.

Mehdi Cherkaoui, a Harris County attorney and father of two, filed the suit on March 1, 2026, in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Texas. The lawsuit names Acting Comptroller Kelly Hancock, Attorney General Ken Paxton, and Education Commissioner Mike Morath as defendants.

Cherkaoui's children attend Houston Qur'an Academy Spring (HQA Spring), a Cognia accredited pre K through 12th grade school in Spring, Texas. He pays nearly $18,000 per year in tuition and sought approximately $10,500 per child through the voucher program to offset those costs.

No accredited Islamic private school has been approved for TEFA, despite hundreds of other private schools, including many Christian ones, being included.

That statement comes directly from the lawsuit filed by Cherkaoui, who argues the exclusion represents "impermissible religious gerrymanders" rather than findings based on any individual school's wrongdoing.

The TEFA program allocates $1 billion in public funds for eligible families' private school tuition, capping enrollment at 90,000 students and prioritizing low income households and those with special needs children. Applications opened February 4 and close March 17, 2026.

In January 2026, Paxton released a legal opinion affirming the Comptroller's authority to exclude schools with "alleged ties to Council on American Islamic Relations events or foreign adversaries." Governor Greg Abbott designated CAIR a "foreign terrorist organization" in November 2025.

Texans' tax dollars should never fund Islamic terrorists or America's enemies.

That was Paxton's public statement defending the exclusion policy.

The lawsuit argues the exclusion is "not based on individualized findings of unlawful conduct by any specific school, but rather on categorical presumptions that Islamic schools are suspect and potentially linked to terrorism by virtue of their religious identity."

Cherkaoui has requested emergency relief before the March 17 enrollment deadline, asking the court to require the state to process HQA Spring's application under neutral, religion blind standards.

Texas Voucher Program Faces Federal Lawsuit Over Religious Discrimination Against Islamic Schools

The case raises significant constitutional questions about religious neutrality in publicly funded education programs. CAIR, the Council on American Islamic Relations, is a civil rights organization that Texas officials have linked to terrorism without providing evidence of criminal conduct by any specific school seeking TEFA enrollment.

The Crusader's Opinion

Let me be absolutely clear: religious liberty is not a buffet where you pick and choose which faiths get to eat. If the government is handing out $1 billion in school vouchers and letting Christian schools participate, then the same rules must apply to everyone. That is not my opinion. That is the First Amendment.

But let us not be naive. There is a real conversation to be had about which organizations receive taxpayer dollars and whether they uphold American values. The issue is not Islam itself. The issue is whether specific schools have verifiable ties to groups that threaten national security. If they do, exclude them with evidence. If they do not, approve them like everyone else. Blanket bans based on religion are exactly the kind of tyranny Christians have suffered under for 2,000 years. We of all people should know better than to wield that weapon against others.

Take Action

• Contact your Texas state representative and urge them to ensure the TEFA program applies neutral, evidence based standards for all private schools regardless of religious affiliation. Find your representative at https://wrm.capitol.texas.gov/home
• Call the Texas Comptroller's Office at (512) 463 4000 to voice your concerns about religious neutrality in the voucher program
• Support religious liberty organizations that defend the rights of all faiths, including The Becket Fund for Religious Liberty
• Pray for wisdom for Texas officials and courts as they navigate the balance between national security and religious freedom
• Support persecuted Christians worldwide through The Shepherd's Shield and Open Doors USA