Public School Advocates File Lawsuit Challenging State’s First Religious Charter School

A public school advocacy organization sued the Oklahoma Statewide Virtual Charter School Board (OSVCSB) Monday alleging that the board violated the Oklahoma Constitution and the Oklahoma Charter Schools Act when approving the state’s first virtual religious charter school.

In June, the OSVCSB voted 3-2 to approve the nation’s first taxpayer-funded religious charter school, St. Isidore of Seville Catholic Virtual School which will be run by the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Oklahoma City and the Diocese of Tulsa.

The Oklahoma Parent Legislative Action Committee (OKPLAC), represented by the Freedom From Religion Foundation, Americans United for Separation of Church and State, the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) and the Education Law Center, is challenging the creation of the school in a lawsuit, arguing that the school plans to discriminate against students of sexual orientation and gender identity which do not align with Catholic doctrine.