Oklahoma parents, faith leaders and education group sue to stop US's first public religious school

Source: Associated Press

Oklahoma parents, faith leaders and education group sue to stop US’s first public religious school

BY SEAN MURPHY
Updated 8:11 PM EDT, July 31, 2023

OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) — A group of parents, faith leaders and a public education nonprofit sued Monday to stop Oklahoma from establishing and funding what would be the nation’s first religious public charter school.

The lawsuit filed in Oklahoma County District Court seeks to stop taxpayer funds from going to the St. Isidore of Seville Catholic Virtual School. The Statewide Virtual Charter School Board voted 3-2 last month to approve the application by the Catholic Archdiocese of Oklahoma City to establish the school, and the board and its members are among those listed as defendants.

The vote came despite a warning from Oklahoma’s Republican attorney general that such a school would violate both state law and the Oklahoma Constitution.

The Rev. Lori Walke, senior minister at Mayflower Congregational Church in Oklahoma City and one of the plaintiffs in the case, said she joined the lawsuit because she believes strongly in religious freedom.

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Read more: https://apnews.com/article/catholic-public-religious-charter-school-oklahoma-94650cece8e589ab8814ef87d93c23e9