The U.S. Supreme Court is set to hear oral arguments on the case of St. Isidore of Seville Catholic Virtual School, which would be the first religious public charter school in the country. Oklahoma Attorney General Gentner Drummond argues that a state-sponsored and taxpayer-funded religious charter school is unconstitutional, citing the First Amendment’s separation of church and state. However, conservatives, including Gov. Kevin Stitt, support the school, arguing that parents should have the right to educate their children in line with their values, and that religious liberty and education freedom are at stake.
Senators James Lankford, Josh Hawley, Kevin Cramer, Ted Budd, and Ted Cruz have filed an amicus brief in support of St. Isidore, flipping Drummond’s First Amendment argument and claiming that denying public funding to religious organizations would violate the First Amendment. The case has sparked a debate between Stitt and Drummond, who have a history of disagreement over policy and politics in Oklahoma.
The Oklahoma Statewide Virtual Charter School Board initially approved St. Isidore’s contract request for public funding in 2023, leading to Drummond filing a lawsuit against the board, a position later affirmed by the Oklahoma Supreme Court. Stitt, who is vice chair of the National Governors Association, is term-limited as governor in 2026, while Drummond is campaigning for governor on a conservative platform. The outcome of the Supreme Court case will have far-reaching implications for religious freedom and education in the U.S.
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