The following is from our friends at Alliance Defending Freedom.
Oklahoma should be able to choose the best schools for its charter-school program, and the Constitution prevents the state from excluding schools from that program simply because they are religious.
Oklahoma law creates a charter-school program, and it invites private organizations to apply to operate charter schools in the state—except state law says religious groups cannot participate. But when St. Isidore of Seville Catholic Virtual School applied to operate a virtual charter school in Oklahoma, the Statewide Charter School Board faced a choice: deny the otherwise-qualified application as state law said or do what the First Amendment requires and approve the school. After then-Oklahoma Attorney General John O’Connor advised the board members that the ban on religious organizations participating in the charter-school program is likely unconstitutional, the Board approved the school in June 2023.
Current Oklahoma Attorney General Gentner Drummond disagreed with that decision, so he sued the Charter School Board. ADF represents the Board. After the Oklahoma Supreme Court ruled against the Board and ordered it to exclude St. Isidore, the Board appealed to the U.S. Supreme Court. On January 24, 2025, the high court agreed to hear the case. The case will be argued on April 30 and likely decided in June.
This case is about educational freedom, empowering parents, and equal treatment of religious people and groups. Parents deserve more choices for their children’s education. Different children flourish in different environments, and providing a wide variety of options allows parents to choose the best education for their children. People of faith deserve options that align with their faith. It is discriminatory to allow charter-school options for parents who believe in Montessori education, for example, while forbidding charter-school options for religious parents who want their children educated consistent with their faith.
Learn more about the Supreme Court case Oklahoma Statewide Charter School Board v. Drummond: https://adflegal.org/drummond
