A group of Oklahoma faith leaders, parents, and education advocates is urging the U.S. Supreme Court to block the creation of what would be the first taxpayer-funded religious public charter school in the country — a move critics say threatens religious liberty under the guise of defending it.
The legal challenge targets St. Isidore of Seville Catholic Virtual School, a proposed charter school approved in Oklahoma that intends to offer religious-based instruction to students while receiving public funding. The school has become a lightning rod in the national debate over religion and education, drawing opposition from groups that ironically include people of faith who say they want to “preserve the separation of church and state.”
An amicus brief filed Monday in Oklahoma Statewide Charter School Board v. Drummond asks the high court to affirm a prior Oklahoma Supreme Court ruling declaring that public charter schools must remain strictly secular — despite being open to innovation and diversity in instruction.
The brief was filed by the Oklahoma Parent Legislative Advocacy Coalition (OKPLAC) and eight state taxpayers, who argue that the school’s approval violates the Establishment Clause and “improperly intertwines government and religion.” Notably, these same individuals are already plaintiffs in a separate state lawsuit (OKPLAC v. Oklahoma Statewide Charter School Board), currently paused while the Supreme Court deliberates.
“Oklahoma taxpayers, including our clients, should not be forced to fund a religious public school that plans to indoctrinate students into one religion and discriminate against students and staff,” the statement continues. “Converting public schools into Sunday schools would be a dangerous sea change for our democracy.”
But supporters of the school, including conservative education advocates and religious liberty defenders, say the case is about equal treatment under the law — not privilege. If charter schools are public, yet privately operated, they argue, religious organizations shouldn’t be excluded from participating just because of their beliefs.
“This is a matter of fairness,” said one advocate familiar with the case. “If states allow secular charter schools, they must also allow faith-based ones under the First Amendment — or risk engaging in viewpoint discrimination.”
As the Supreme Court prepares to weigh in, the outcome could have historic implications for the future of education and religious freedom in America. Conservatives argue that parents deserve more choices and that faith-based educationshould not be confined to private schools only accessible to the wealthy.
The case may determine whether religious liberty is a right for all Americans, or only for those who can afford to opt out of the public system.
