OKLAHOMA CITY, Okla. — Oklahoma Attorney General Gentner Drummond filed a lawsuit Friday against the Oklahoma Statewide Virtual Charter School Board for approving the country's first publically funded religious charter school.
The board previously approved the application for the Saint Isidore of Seville Virtual Charter School in a 3-2 vote in early June.
- Previous story>>> Virtual religious charter school approved by Oklahoma board
The Catholic Archdiocese of Oklahoma City told the board that religious teachings will be a prominent feature in the virtual school.
Critics of the decision including Drummond say the board's approval violates the United States Constitution.
The board members who approved this contract have violated the religious liberty of every Oklahoman by forcing us to fund the teachings of a specific religious sect with our tax dollars.
Today, Oklahomans are being compelled to fund Catholicism. Because of the legal precedent created by the Board’s actions, tomorrow we may be forced to fund radical Muslim teachings like Sharia law. In fact, Governor Stitt has already indicated that he would welcome a Muslim charter school funded by our tax dollars. That is a gross violation of our religious liberty. As the defender of Oklahoma’s religious freedoms, I am prepared to litigate this issue to the United States Supreme Court if that’s what is required to protect our Constitutional rights.
Drummond submitted the lawsuit to the Oklahoma State Supreme Court which referenced the state Constitution which says it prohibits "sectarian control" of public schools.
The lawsuit hopes to halt taxpayer funding from going to the virtual charter school before it begins.
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Drummond said under constitutional protections no one should fund a school that teaches against their beliefs.
There is no religious freedom in compelling Oklahomans to fund religions that may violate their own deeply held beliefs.
The framers of the U.S. Constitution and those who drafted Oklahoma’s Constitution clearly understood how best to protect religious freedom: by preventing the State from sponsoring any religion at all.
Oklahoma Governor Kevin Stitt continues to share support for the religious charter school claiming it is a step towards religious liberty.
This lawsuit is a political stunt and runs counter to our Oklahoma values and the law. AG Drummond seems to lack any firm grasp on the constitutional principle of religious freedom and masks his disdain for the Catholics’ pursuit by obsessing over non-existent schools that don’t neatly align with his religious preference. His discriminatory and ignorant comment concerning a potential Muslim charter is a perfect illustration.
The creation of St. Isadore’s is a win for religious and educational freedom in Oklahoma. We want parents to be able to choose the education that is best for their kids, regardless of income. The state shouldn’t stand in the way.
In the October virtual school board meeting on October 5, the board further approved the contract for the virtual religious charter school. This sparked more conversations about the board's decision on whether or not it was constitutional.
State School Superintendent Ryan Walters also released a statement:
“The Constitution is crystal clear on religious liberty, but that fundamental truth is lost on some people. Oklahomans hold their faith and their liberty sacred, and atheism should not be the state-sponsored religion. We should not play politics with the future of our kids through this misguided lawsuit.
Oklahoma parents know what is best for their kids and deserve the most expansive system of school choice in the country so they can make the right decision for their families. The approval of St. Isidore of Seville is a landmark in the battle for educational and religious freedom, and I am proud that Oklahoma is leading the way. We will never back down.”
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