CNA Staff, Aug 6, 2024 / 13:09 pm
The Oklahoma Supreme Court on Monday denied a stay of a recent ruling that required that the Statewide Charter School Board rescind a contract with a Catholic charter school.
St. Isidore of Seville Catholic Virtual School had asked the court to stay the order so it could preserve the contract while filing an appeal to the U.S. Supreme Court. The publicly funded, Catholic-directed institution would be the first of its kind in the nation.
The Oklahoma Supreme Court earlier this summer ruled against its establishment, ordering the Statewide Virtual Charter School Board to rescind the school’s contract. The court argued that extending public funding to a religious school would be a “slippery slope” that could lead to “the destruction of Oklahomans’ freedom to practice religion without fear of governmental intervention.”
St. Isidore, managed by the Archdiocese of Oklahoma City and the Diocese of Tulsa, is appealing the ruling to the U.S. Supreme Court.
The Virtual Charter School Board, meanwhile — which has since been incorporated into the Statewide Charter School Board — delayed rescinding the contract pending the outcome of the appeal.
St. Isidore asked to keep its contract, while not opening the school or accepting state charter-school funding while the school appealed the case. The court ruled against the stay 7-1, while the chief justice, John Kane, recused himself of the vote.
Attorney General Gentner Drummond petitioned the Oklahoma Supreme Court at the end of July, asking that the court “compel” the charter board to comply with the June 25 order to rescind the contract and “to make clear that further refusal … will be grounds for the issuance of a contempt citation.”
For “nearly a month, the Oklahoma Statewide Charter School Board has ignored this court’s patently clear order requiring rescission of the unlawful contract,” the filing reads.
The Statewide Charter School Board is set to meet on Aug. 12, where it will review the ruling.
St. Isidore is working with attorneys from the Notre Dame Religious Liberty Clinic, part of the Notre Dame Law School Religious Liberty Initiative.
Set to launch in August as an online, tuition-free, Catholic K–12 charter school, St. Isidore had 200 students registered to start in the fall.
Subscribe to our daily newsletter
At Catholic News Agency, our team is committed to reporting the truth with courage, integrity, and fidelity to our faith. We provide news about the Church and the world, as seen through the teachings of the Catholic Church. When you subscribe to the CNA UPDATE, we'll send you a daily email with links to the news you need and, occasionally, breaking news.
As part of this free service you may receive occasional offers from us at EWTN News and EWTN. We won't rent or sell your information, and you can unsubscribe at any time.
Click hereOur mission is the truth. Join us!
Your monthly donation will help our team continue reporting the truth, with fairness, integrity, and fidelity to Jesus Christ and his Church.
Donate to CNA