FOUNDING FATHERS WTF: A STATE SPONSORED CATHOLIC PUBLIC CHARTER SCHOOL?
In a shocking turn of events, Oklahoma is facing a lawsuit for funding the United States' first "state-sponsored" religious charter school. The school in question is St. Isidore of Seville Catholic Virtual School, which plans to open in 2023. The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) and other civil rights groups have filed the lawsuit on behalf of several plaintiffs, including parents, educators, and faith leaders. The lawsuit claims that the Oklahoma Statewide Virtual Charter School Board (SVCSB) violated the state constitution, the Oklahoma Charter Schools Act, and the board's own regulations when it approved the application of St. Isidore.
Now, we know what you're thinking: "What's wrong with a little religious education?" Well, it turns out that St. Isidore has some pretty discriminatory policies. According to its application, the school "will be a place...of evangelization" that "participates in the evangelizing mission of the Church" and will offer a curriculum that is "faithful to the teachings of the Catholic Church." The school also asserts a right to discriminate against students and employees based on religion, sexual orientation, gender identity, and disability.
But wait, it gets better! The lawsuit argues that the SVCSB's decision to sponsor and fund St. Isidore violates the Establishment Clause of the First Amendment, which prohibits the government from endorsing or favoring any religion. The lawsuit also contends that St. Isidore fails to meet the legal requirements for charter schools in Oklahoma, such as being nonsectarian, independent, and accountable.
Now, we don't want to take sides here, but we have to admit that some of St. Isidore's policies are a little...questionable. For example, the school plans to "employ only Catholic teachers." We're not sure how they plan to enforce this policy - maybe they'll make all applicants take a quiz on their knowledge of Our Fathers and Hail Marys? Or maybe they'll require all potential teachers to participate in online communion? Who knows!
In any case, it seems like St. Isidore is in for a rough time. The lawsuit seeks to stop the state from providing any financial or other support to the school and to revoke its charter approval. We can't help but wonder what kind of impact this will have on the future of charter schools in Oklahoma and across the country.
In the meantime, we'll be brushing up on our Our Fathers and Hail Marys, just in case we need to apply for a teaching position at St. Isidore. After all, we wouldn't want to miss out on all the fun!
The legal battle in Oklahoma over public funding for a religious charter school | PBS News Weekend https://www.pbs.org/newshour/show/the-legal-battle-in-oklahoma-over-public-funding-for-a-religious-charter-school
Oklahoma sued for funding US’s first ‘state-sponsored’ religious charter school | Oklahoma | The Guardian https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2023/aug/13/oklahoma-lawsuit-religious-public-charter-school
THE DEFT DIVE
FROM BARD AI
The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) and a number of other organizations have filed a lawsuit against the state of Oklahoma for funding the United States' first state-sponsored religious charter school. The school, St. Isidore of Seville Catholic Virtual School, is set to open in the fall of 2023.
The lawsuit argues that the Oklahoma State Virtual Charter School Board violated the state constitution, the Oklahoma Charter Schools Act, and the board's own regulations when it voted 3-2 in June to approve St. Isidore's charter-school sponsorship application.
One of the main concerns of the lawsuit is that St. Isidore will discriminate against students on the basis of religion, sexual orientation, and gender identity. The school's application states that it will "provide a Catholic education" and that it will "employ only Catholic teachers." The lawsuit argues that this language is discriminatory and that it violates the state constitution's guarantee of religious freedom.
The lawsuit also argues that St. Isidore will not provide adequate services to students with disabilities. The school's application does not include any information about how it will accommodate students with disabilities. The lawsuit argues that this is a violation of the state's charter school law, which requires all charter schools to provide "adequate services" to students with disabilities.
Finally, the lawsuit argues that St. Isidore will not be independent of its sponsoring organization, the Catholic Archdiocese of Oklahoma City. The school's application states that it will be "subject to the policies and procedures of the Catholic Archdiocese of Oklahoma City." The lawsuit argues that this language makes St. Isidore a religious school, and that it is therefore ineligible for state funding.
The lawsuit is being filed on behalf of a group of parents, education activists, and faith leaders. The plaintiffs are seeking a court order to stop the Oklahoma State Virtual Charter School Board from funding St. Isidore of Seville Catholic Virtual School.
The lawsuit is a major test of the separation of church and state in the United States. It is also a test of the limits of state funding for charter schools. The outcome of the lawsuit could have a significant impact on the future of charter schools in Oklahoma and across the country.
FROM BING AI
Oklahoma is facing a lawsuit for funding the US's first "state-sponsored" religious charter school, which is planned to open in 2023. The lawsuit was filed by the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) and other civil rights groups on behalf of several plaintiffs, including parents, educators, and faith leaders. The lawsuit claims that the Oklahoma Statewide Virtual Charter School Board (SVCSB) violated the state constitution, the Oklahoma Charter Schools Act, and the board's own regulations when it approved the application of St. Isidore of Seville Catholic Virtual School in June 2021¹²³.
St. Isidore of Seville Catholic Virtual School is an online public school that would be administered by the Archdiocese of Oklahoma City and the Diocese of Tulsa. According to its application, the school "will be a place...of evangelization" that "participates in the evangelizing mission of the Church" and will offer a curriculum that is "faithful to the teachings of the Catholic Church" ⁴. The school also asserts a right to discriminate against students and employees based on religion, sexual orientation, gender identity, and disability ⁴.
The lawsuit argues that the SVCSB's decision to sponsor and fund St. Isidore violates the Establishment Clause of the First Amendment, which prohibits the government from endorsing or favoring any religion. The lawsuit also contends that St. Isidore fails to meet the legal requirements for charter schools in Oklahoma, such as being nonsectarian, independent, and accountable ⁴. The lawsuit seeks to stop the state from providing any financial or other support to St. Isidore and to revoke its charter approval ⁴.
The SVCSB's approval of St. Isidore was controversial from the start, as it was opposed by many public officials, educators, and advocates. Oklahoma Attorney General Gentner Drummond said that "the approval of any publicly funded religious school is contrary to Oklahoma law and not in the best interest of taxpayers" ². The Oklahoma Education Association, the state's largest teachers union, said that "public funds should not be used to support private religious schools" ². The Freedom From Religion Foundation, a national nonprofit organization that promotes secularism, said that "the SVCSB has opened a Pandora's box of legal woes by approving this unconstitutional charter school" ⁵.
On the other hand, some supporters of St. Isidore argued that it would provide more educational choices for parents and students, and that it would uphold religious liberty and free inquiry. Oklahoma Governor Kevin Stitt praised the SVCSB's decision as "a win for religious liberty and education freedom in our great state" ². The Archdiocese of Oklahoma City said that it was "elated" by the approval and that "parents continue to demand more options for their kids" ². The U.S. Department of Education issued a Religious Liberty and Free Inquiry Final Rule in 2020, which aims to ensure that public institutions uphold fundamental rights guaranteed by the First Amendment and that private institutions adhere to their stated policies regarding freedom of speech and academic freedom ⁶.
The lawsuit over St. Isidore raises important questions about the role of religion in public education, the separation of church and state, and the rights and responsibilities of charter schools. It also reflects a broader debate over religious liberty and free inquiry in higher education and society at large. The outcome of this case could have significant implications for the future of charter schools and religious education in Oklahoma and beyond.
Bing, 8/14/2023
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- (10) Your Right to Religious Freedom | American Civil Liberties Union. https://www.aclu.org/documents/your-right-religious-freedom.
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