TULSA, Okla. — A lawsuit filed Monday in Oklahoma County District Court claims publicly funding Saint Isidore of Seville Catholic Virtual School is a clear violation of the state constitution and law.
The Oklahoma Statewide Virtual Charter School Board approved the application in June.
Rachel Laser, an attorney for Americans United for Separation of Church and State, said the plaintiffs include a diverse group of public school advocates.
“Oklahoma parents, Catholic families, parents with LGBTQ students and parents of students with disabilities,” she said. “Charter schools are public schools, not Sunday schools.”
The lawsuit said public schools must be open to anyone, yet Saint Isidore admitted it could discriminate against students based on sexual orientation, religious beliefs and disabilities.
“It’s charter application states it will only comply with Oklahoma law to serve children with disabilities to the extent that it doesn’t compromise religious tenets or the instructional model of the schools,” said Robert Kim, attorney for Education Law Center.
Kim said in addition to violating law, funding Saint Isidore drains money from other public schools at a time Oklahoma public schools are already underfunded.
While this lawsuit contends this is an attempt to defend religious freedom, defending religious freedom is the same stance supporters of Saint Isidore use, like State Superintendent Ryan Walters, one of nine named in the lawsuit.
Reverend Dr. Lori Walke of Marigold Church in Oklahoma City is one of the plaintiffs.
“I am a minister, an attorney, an Oklahoman and an American,” she said. “The idea that religious freedom is ensuring people can force their religion on you is really a ‘don’t treat on me, but I’ll tread on thee’ sort of approach.”
The Oklahomans and non-profit filing the suit believe Oklahomans should not be forced to fund any religion and that approving Saint Isidore is another way Christians are attempting to take over the public school system.
Superintendent Walters released this statement: “It is time to end atheism as the state sponsored religion. Suing and targeting the Catholic Virtual School is religious persecution because of one’s faith, which is the very reason that religious freedom is constitutionally protected. A warped perversion of history has created a modern day concept that all religious freedom is driven from the classrooms. I will always side for an individual’s Right to choose religious freedom in education.”
2 News reached out to the school but did not hear back.
Here is a link to the lawsuit:
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