Oklahoma Supreme Court Blocks Creation Of Nation’s First-Ever Religious Charter School As Unconstitutional

June 25, 2024 Christianists, Republicans

The New York Times reports:

The Oklahoma Supreme Court blocked on Tuesday what would have been the nation’s first religious charter school, delivering a setback to a conservative movement that has increasingly fought for public dollars to go toward religious education.

The case is likely to be appealed, potentially pushing it toward the U.S. Supreme Court, whose conservative majority has broadly embraced the role of religion in public life and signaled an openness to directing taxpayer money to religious schools.

The proposed school, St. Isidore of Seville Catholic Virtual School, was pitched as an online Catholic school for students in rural areas and throughout the state of Oklahoma, with religious instruction woven throughout the curriculum.

The National Review reports:

“This State’s establishment of a religious charter school violates Oklahoma statutes, the Oklahoma Constitution, and the Establishment Clause,” the court wrote.

“St. Isidore cannot justify its creation by invoking Free Exercise rights as a religious entity. St. Isidore came into existence through its charter with the State and will function as a component of the State’s public school system.”

Attorneys with Alliance Defending Freedom, representing the Oklahoma Statewide Virtual Charter School Board, said in April that Oklahoma Attorney General Gentner Drummond was wrong to oppose the school’s contract.

As previously reported here, the school was heavily promoted by Oklahoma Superintendent of Public Schools Ryan Walters [photo] and Gov. Kevin Stitt, both of whom are self-avowed Christian nationalists. Walters has said that the school would be just the first of many to come.



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