One College Wants to Build Up the Workforce. The ACLU Won’t Let It

Earlier this month, the ACLU of West Virginia declared victory after claiming to have blocked a $5 million grant to the College of St. Joseph the Worker, a Catholic trade school based in Ohio. But the celebration was premature — at best. The real story is a telling example of how religious institutions continue to be targeted for exclusion from public life, despite clear legal precedent protecting their equal treatment.

The College of St. Joseph the Worker, located in Steubenville, Ohio, offers an innovative model of higher education. Students train in skilled trades such as carpentry, HVAC, plumbing, and electrical work while also pursuing a bachelor’s degree in Catholic studies. St. Joseph’s, as one administrator told the College Fix, seeks to restore “the original model of the university system, which integrates faith and reason, set up by the Catholic Church.”

About the Author

Andrea Picciotti-Bayer

Andrea Picciotti-Bayer is director of the Conscience Project and recipient of the Religious Freedom Institute’s 2025 Religious Freedom Impact Award.

Featured Tags

Earlier this month, the ACLU of West Virginia declared victory after claiming to have blocked a $5 million grant to the College of St. Joseph the Worker, a Catholic trade school based in Ohio. But the celebration was premature — at best. The real story is a telling example of how religious institutions continue to be targeted for exclusion from public life, despite clear legal precedent protecting their equal treatment.

The College of St. Joseph the Worker, located in Steubenville, Ohio, offers an innovative model of higher education. Students train in skilled trades such as carpentry, HVAC, plumbing, and electrical work while also pursuing a bachelor’s degree in Catholic studies. St. Joseph’s, as one administrator told the College Fix, seeks to restore “the original model of the university system, which integrates faith and reason, set up by the Catholic Church.”