Catholic schools in Michigan feel the state is giving them the runaround about CARES Act Funding they are legally entitled to receive.

Michigan Catholic Conference (MCC) President and CEO Paul Long offered a statement after nonpublic schools suffered a setback from a federal judge who ruled against a U.S. Department of Education rule.

In his statement, posted in a release issued on the conference's website, Long accused the state’s attorney general Dana Nessel of going to the California Federal Court to get a favorable ruling that discriminated against nonpublic schools and flew in the face of Congressional intent. The Michigan Catholic Conference had joined 37 other organizations in its legal brief.

"In effect, the Michigan litigants are seeking to withhold $16.5 million from nonpublic schools in this state during the pandemic, despite federal legislation allowing for the schools to receive the funds," the an earlier MCC release said.

Long's statement also noted that the state is prioritizing its ideological politics over thousands of low and middle-income families enrolled in nonpublic schools equally impacted by the COVID pandemic as public-school students.