Jonathon Sawyer is a Ph.D. candidate at the University of Colorado Boulder. Working with the National Education Policy Center, Jon conducts research on both public and private education. Through his in-progress dissertation, Jon explores pressing tensions that exist between the right to religious freedom and the separation of church and state—with a focus on taxpayer supported religious schools.

Motivated by life-defining experiences in a school associated with the early years of the New Apostolic Reformation (NAR), Jon is particularly attentive to LGBTQ students who are subjected to religiously motivated discrimination. He considers the social and psychological conditions that may lead these students to perceive the discrimination they experience as positive, at least for a time. Jon has published peer-reviewed work with Taylor & Francis regarding the NAR and teachings on “spiritual warfare” that are especially wielded against LGBTQ students. He has also written for the popular press, with a forthcoming chapter in a book on conversion therapy. Through his work, Jon aims to educate his academic community and the public on the discrimination some LGBTQ youth may experience in taxpayer supported religious schools. He also explores how religious extremism radicalizes youth against democracy. He has presented research on civil rights, education policy, and religion at the annual conference of the American Educational Research Association.

Jon holds a master’s degree in education—with a focus on religion and policy—from the University of Colorado Boulder. He also earned a bachelor’s degree from the University of North Texas, where he pursued an interdisciplinary course of study in religion, history, and music.