Supreme Court Upholds Decision Against Oklahoma Religious Charter School
In a closely watched case, the United States Supreme Court has upheld an Oklahoma Supreme Court verdict blocking the establishment of the nation’s first publicly funded religious charter school, St. Isidore of Seville Catholic Virtual School. The high court’s decision was evenly split, 4-4, resulting in the affirmation of the state court’s ruling against the school.
Justice Amy Coney Barrett abstained from participating in the case, reportedly due to her personal connection with Nicole Stelle Garnett, who was an early advisor for the school. This recusal left the court without a deciding vote, leading to the affirmation of the lower court’s decision.
Oklahoma Attorney General Gentner Drummond, a Republican who initiated the complaint against the school, expressed satisfaction with the ruling. He remarked on Twitter, “The Supreme Court has ruled in favor of my position that we should not allow taxpayer funding of radical Islamic schools here in Oklahoma.”
The Oklahoma Statewide Virtual Charter School Board had initially approved the creation of St. Isidore in June 2023 by a narrow 3-2 vote. The school was to be overseen by the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Oklahoma City and the Catholic Diocese of Tulsa. However, this decision faced opposition from progressive groups and Drummond, who filed a lawsuit in October 2023.
In June of the previous year, the Oklahoma Supreme Court ruled 7-1 against the school, citing that its approval violated the state constitution. Following this, the charter school board unanimously rescinded the contract for St. Isidore, but they also appealed to the U.S. Supreme Court.
The U.S. Supreme Court agreed to review the cases in January, combining them under Oklahoma Charter School Board, et al. v. Drummond, Attorney General of Oklahoma and St. Isidore of Seville School v. Drummond, Attorney General of Oklahoma. Oral arguments took place last month.
Jim Campbell, representing the school from Alliance Defending Freedom, argued that religious groups should not be excluded from public programs. “When a state creates a public program and invites private actors, it can’t exclude people or groups because they’re religious,” he stated.
Gregory Garre, representing Attorney General Drummond, countered by asserting that charter schools are public schools and must adhere to the same standards as other government-run educational institutions. “Teaching religion as truth in public schools is not allowed,” he argued, emphasizing that St. Isidore intended to incorporate religious teachings into its curriculum.
This article was originally written by www.christianpost.com
