Latest news with #OklahomaStateSupremeCourt
Yahoo
22-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Supreme Court upholds Oklahoma decision, in blow to religious charter schools
An evenly divided Supreme Court on Thursday ruled against a religious school that sought public funding from the state of Oklahoma. In a 4-4 vote, the justices upheld the Oklahoma State Supreme Court's decision that for St. Isidore of Seville Catholic Virtual School in Oklahoma City to receive public funds would be unconstitutional. Justice Amy Coney Barrett had recused herself from the case. The court issued a one-sentence ruling upholding the lower court's decision, saying only: "The judgment is affirmed by an equally divided Court." Oklahoma has argued that providing state funds for a religious charter school violates the First Amendment. Trump Faces Another Deportation Setback With 4Th Circuit Appeals Court The Oklahoma Statewide Virtual Charter School Board approved St. Isidore's contract request in June 2023, making them eligible to receive public funds. The school agreed that it would be free and open to all students "as a traditional public school," and would comply with local, state and federal education laws. Read On The Fox News App But St. Isidore also indicated that the school "fully embraces the teachings" of the Catholic Church and participates "in the evangelizing mission of the church." Its ability to receive state funding was later blocked by the Oklahoma Supreme Court, which ruled that using the funds for a religious school was in violation of the Establishment Clause of the First Amendment. Oklahoma Attorney General Gentner Drummond sued to block the approval of the school's state charter, calling it an "unlawful sponsorship" of a sectarian institution, and "a serious threat to the religious liberty of all four-million Oklahomans." That argument was appealed to the Supreme Court, which agreed to hear the case in October. In more than two hours of wide-ranging oral arguments last month, justices appeared split along ideological lines over whether to allow St. Isidore to become the first religious charter school in the U.S. The justices focused on two questions during the oral arguments: First was whether charter schools should be treated as public schools, which are considered extensions of the state and therefore subject to the Establishment Cause and its ban establishing or endorsing a religion; or if the school should be considered a private entity or contractor, which was the argument made by St. Isidore. The second question was whether Oklahoma's actions violated the Free Exercise Clause of the Constitution, by placing what the school argues is an undue burden on its religious mission. 100 Days Of Injunctions, Trials And 'Teflon Don': Trump Second Term Meets Its Biggest Tests In Court The decision comes as the Supreme Court's conservative majority has, in recent years, ruled in favor of allowing taxpayer funds to be allocated to some religious organizations to provide "non-sectarian services" such as adoption services or food banks. In this case, the justices debated what limits on curriculum supervision and control would be placed on the religious charter school, if its contract with the state was allowed to move forward. Justices Kentanji Brown Jackson, Sonia Sotomayor and Elena Kagan pressed attorneys for the school on how they would treat students with different religious backgrounds who might opt to attend. There is no indication of how each justice ultimately article source: Supreme Court upholds Oklahoma decision, in blow to religious charter schools
Yahoo
22-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
US Supreme Court blocks public funding for religious charter school
The state of Oklahoma may not direct public state funding to what was set to be the nation's first religious charter school after the US Supreme Court deadlocked over the case. The justices were evenly split, voting 4-4 in a ruling on Thursday. The tie affirms a lower ruling from the Oklahoma State Supreme Court, which found the effort to establish the school violates the US Constitution. An Oklahoma school board had approved the founding of a charter school run by the Catholic Archdiocese of Oklahoma City and the Diocese of Tulsa that would have received roughly $23.3m (£18.7m) in state funding over five years. A charter school is funded by taxpayers but independently managed. The US Supreme Court's ruling is not considered a country-wide precedent and the justices could accept future cases related to the issue. The court does not reveal how the justices voted, though they appeared split along ideological lines during an April hearing. Justice Amy Coney Barrett, who was appointed by US President Donald Trump as one of the court's conservative justices, recused herself from the case. She did not provide a reason. The announcement also did not come with a formal opinion - only a single page that read: "The judgment is affirmed by an equally divided Court." Court watchers viewed the case as a test of the US Constitution's religious boundaries. The 1st Amendment prohibits the government from taking any action to establish a dominant religion. Taxpayer funds, such as those earmarked for public schools, have long been considered off limits to religious institutions. The two sides of the case presented dueling views of religious freedom. Oklahoma Attorney General Gentner Drummond, a Republican, had sued the board to force it to rescind the school's charter. He welcomed the court's decision in a statement on Thursday. He had long criticised the school as illegal and said it opened the state to having to fund other kinds of religious schools. "The Supreme Court's decision represents a resounding victory for religious liberty and for the foundational principles that have guided our nation since its founding," he said. "This ruling ensures that Oklahoma taxpayers will not be forced to fund radical Islamic schools, while protecting the religious rights of families to choose any school they wish for their children." The school, however, had argued that denying it charter funding as a Christian institution amounted to discrimination on basis of religion. In a statement, officials said they were disappointed in the ruling. "We stand committed to parental choice in education, providing equal opportunity to all who seek options when deciding what is best for their children," the statement read. "In light of this ruling, we are exploring other options for offering a virtual Catholic education to all persons in the state," it added. St Isidore of Seville Virtual Catholic Charter School aimed to provide online instruction that incorporated religious teachings for about 500 students from kindergarten through high school. The Oklahoma State Virtual Charter School Board's 2023 decision to approve the school's application for charter status was met with almost immediate controversy. Oklahoma Governor Kevin Stitt, a Republican, welcomed the approval, but Mr Drummond, the attorney general, condemned it and ultimately filed a lawsuit. Charter schools make up a small fraction of the US school system. They have gained prominence in recent years as rallying point for some conservatives, who advocate for expanding charter schools as a means of giving parents more control over their children's education. Trump's pick for education secretary, Linda McMahon, has sought to reduce federal support for public schools and expand support for charter and private ones. First US taxpayer-funded religious school approved
Washington Post
22-05-2025
- Politics
- Washington Post
Supreme Court deadlocks, blocking creation of first religious public school
The Supreme Court on Thursday deadlocked over the constitutionality of the nation's first public religious charter school, blocking the creation of the controversial Catholic online academy in Oklahoma. With only eight justices voting, the Supreme Court's 4-4 tie leaves in place an Oklahoma State Supreme Court ruling that the school violates the Constitution's separation of church and state.
