Lawsuit filed to stop state funding for new religious charter school in Oklahoma

A lawsuit was filed on Monday to stop state support for a new religious charter school in Oklahoma.

The lawsuit was filed by the Oklahoma Parent Legislative Action Committee to ask a judge to stop the funding, sponsorship and opening of the St. Isidore of Seville Virtual Catholic Charter School.

In June, the Oklahoma Statewide Virtual Charter School Board voted 3-2 to approve the application of the school, which would be an online public school, administered by the Archdiocese of Oklahoma City and the Diocese of Tulsa.

When the application was approved, Oklahoma Republican Gov. Kevin Stitt said, "This is a win for religious liberty and education freedom in our great state, and I am encouraged by these efforts to give parents more options when it comes to their child’s education."

The lawsuit argues that the new school would violate discrimination laws that charter schools and the state of Oklahoma have.

"The defining feature of America’s public schools is that they must welcome and serve all students, regardless of a student’s background, beliefs, or abilities," the lawsuit states.

"Schools that do not adhere to this principle have long existed and are entitled to operate, but they cannot be part of the public-education system. Permitting otherwise would upend the legal framework Oklahoma has constructed to govern public schools and protect students."

Oklahoma's Attorney General Gentner Drummond said that the school's approval was unconstitutional.

"The approval of any publicly funded religious school is contrary to Oklahoma law and not in the best interest of taxpayers," he said. "It’s extremely disappointing that board members violated their oath in order to fund religious schools with our tax dollars. In doing so, these members have exposed themselves and the State to potential legal action that could be costly."

The executive director of the Catholic Conference of Oklahoma, Brett Farley, reportedly said at the time of approval, "Public dollars currently go to all kinds of religious institutions, whether they’re education institutions in the form of tax credits, or vouchers, or something like that, but also hospitals and all kinds of religiously sponsored public benefit institutions."

The school, which adheres to a Catholic curriculum and to the church’s values, would reportedly host 400 to 500 students in its first year and receive about $2.5 million in state aid.