Oklahoma charter school attorneys say St. Isidore should be allowed to open next year
YEAH, GUYS, THE GROUP SAYS THIS IS RELIGIOUS DISCRIMINATION, EVEN THOUGH THE AG HAS PREVIOUSLY SAID THIS VIOLATES FEDERAL AND STATE LAWS. BUT SOME JUST DON’T SEE IT THAT WAY. THE US SUPREME COURT HAS MADE IT CLEAR THAT IF A STATE OPENS UP A PROGRAM TO PRIVATE GROUPS, IT CAN’T EXCLUDE RELIGIOUS GROUPS SIMPLY BECAUSE THEY’RE RELIGIOUS. NEW TONIGHT ATTORNEYS WITH A GROUP CALLED ALLIANCE DEFENDING FREEDOM FILED A BRIEF WITH THE OKLAHOMA SUPREME COURT SUPPORTING THE CASE OF SAINT ISIDORE OF SEVILLE VIRTUAL CATHOLIC CHARTER SCHOOL. THE MORE OPTIONS THERE ARE FOR OKLAHOMA FANS TO GET THEIR EDUCATION AND THEIR SCHOOLING, THE BETTER THEY ARE. A MONTH AGO, attorney GENERAL GENTNER DRUMMOND FILED A LAWSUIT AGAINST THE VIRTUAL CHARTER SCHOOL BOARD FOR CHOOSING TO MOVE FORWARD WITH THE SCHOOL, SAYING IT’S A VIOLATION OF CHURCH AND STATE. I ASKED PHIL SECKLER IF HE THOUGHT THIS VIOLATES EITHER THE STATE OR FEDERAL CONSTITUTION. NOT AT ALL. I MEAN, SAINT ISIDORE IS A PRIVATE ACTOR. IT’S PRIVATELY OPERATED, AND IT CANNOT BE EXCLUDED FROM A PROGRAM MADE AVAILABLE TO PRIVATE GROUPS, AS THE attorney GENERAL WOULD HAVE THEM BE. HE POINTS TO THE FREE EXERCISE CLAUSES OF THE CONSTITUTION, ARGUING RELIGIOUS VIRTUAL CHARTER SCHOOLS SHOULD BE GIVEN THE SAME OPPORTUNITIES AS SECULAR ONES, EVEN IF THAT MEANS GIVING THEM PUBLIC FUNDING. THE FREE EXERCISE CLAUSE THAT SAYS YOU CAN’T TREAT RELIGIOUS GROUPS DIFFERENTLY FROM THEIR SECULAR COUNTERPARTS. WHEN THE attorney GENERAL FIRST FILED HIS LAWSUIT LAST MONTH, HE SAID SAINT ISIDORE COULD OPEN THE DOOR FOR OTHER PUBLICLY FUNDED RELIGIOUS SCHOOLS. SO ANY APPLICANT THAT SEEKS SECTARIAN FUNDING, WE ARE REQUIRED TO FUND. SO IF IT’S A SATANIC TEMPLE OR A SHARIA LAW BASED SECT THAT WANTS FUNDING, THAT WE HAVE TO DO IT. AND HE ARGUED THIS IS A CLEAR BREACH OF STATE AND FEDERAL LAW. WE HAVE NOW AS A STATE VIOLATED THE UNITED STATES CONSTITUTION, THE OKLAHOMA CONSTITUTION, AN OKLAHOMA STATUTORY LAW, AND BREACHED OUR CONTRACT WITH THE FEDERAL DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION. NOW, IF A JUDG
Attorneys for Oklahoma virtual charter school say St. Isidore should be allowed to open next year
This comes even though attorney General Gentner Drummond disagrees
Updated: 10:09 PM CST Nov 21, 2023
Attorneys representing the Oklahoma Statewide Virtual Charter School said the St. Isidore of Seville Catholic Virtual Charter School should be allowed to open next year.This comes even though attorney General Gentner Drummond disagrees. The group said it is religious discrimination even though the AG has said before it’s a violation of state and federal law.”The U.S. Supreme Court has made it clear, that if the state opens a program to private groups, it can’t exclude religious groups, simply because it’s religious,” said Phil Sechler, the senior counsel for Alliance Defending Freedom.| MORE | Oklahoma AG files lawsuit against board that approved publicly funded religious charter schoolOn Tuesday, attorneys with a group called Alliance Defending Freedom filed a brief with the Oklahoma Supreme Court supporting the case of the school.”The more options there are for Oklahomans to get their education and schooling, the better they are,” Sechler said.A month ago, Drummond filed a lawsuit against the Virtual Charter School Board for choosing to move forward with the school, saying it’s a violation of church and state. KOCO 5 asked Sechler if he thought this violated either the state or federal constitution.”Not at all. St. Isidore is a private actor. It’s privately operated. And it cannot be excluded from a program made available to private groups, as the attorney general would have them be,” Sechler said.He pointed to the free exercise clause of the constitution, arguing religious virtual charter schools should be given the same opportunities as secular ones, even if that means giving them public funding.”The Free Exercise Clause that says you can’t treat religious groups differently than their secular counterparts,” Sechler said.| MORE | Oklahoma board votes to approve contract for Catholic charter schoolWhen Drummond first filed his lawsuit last month, he said the school could open the door for other publicly funded religious schools.”So any applicant that seeks secretarial funding, we are required to fund. So if it’s a satanic temple or a Shariah law-based sect, that wants funding, then we have to do it,” Drummond said.He argued it is a clear breach of state and federal law.”We have now, as a state, violated the U.S. Constitution, Oklahoma Constitution, Oklahoma statuary law, and breached our contract with the Federal Department of Education,” Drummond said.If a judge sides with the charter school, St. Isidore would open its doors for the fall of 2024.Top HeadlinesOklahoma doctor’s license suspended for unprofessional conductDogs are coming down with an unusual respiratory illness in several US statesBusinesses across Oklahoma City shut down just weeks before the holidaysUpdated data gives glimpse at what Oklahoma’s weather will be like in December18-year-old dead after crash in Oklahoma City, officials say
OKLAHOMA CITY —
Attorneys representing the Oklahoma Statewide Virtual Charter School said the St. Isidore of Seville Catholic Virtual Charter School should be allowed to open next year.
This comes even though attorney General Gentner Drummond disagrees. The group said it is religious discrimination even though the AG has said before it’s a violation of state and federal law.
“The U.S. Supreme Court has made it clear, that if the state opens a program to private groups, it can’t exclude religious groups, simply because it’s religious,” said Phil Sechler, the senior counsel for Alliance Defending Freedom.
| MORE | Oklahoma AG files lawsuit against board that approved publicly funded religious charter school
On Tuesday, attorneys with a group called Alliance Defending Freedom filed a brief with the Oklahoma Supreme Court supporting the case of the school.
“The more options there are for Oklahomans to get their education and schooling, the better they are,” Sechler said.
A month ago, Drummond filed a lawsuit against the Virtual Charter School Board for choosing to move forward with the school, saying it’s a violation of church and state. KOCO 5 asked Sechler if he thought this violated either the state or federal constitution.
“Not at all. St. Isidore is a private actor. It’s privately operated. And it cannot be excluded from a program made available to private groups, as the attorney general would have them be,” Sechler said.
He pointed to the free exercise clause of the constitution, arguing religious virtual charter schools should be given the same opportunities as secular ones, even if that means giving them public funding.
“The Free Exercise Clause that says you can’t treat religious groups differently than their secular counterparts,” Sechler said.
| MORE | Oklahoma board votes to approve contract for Catholic charter school
When Drummond first filed his lawsuit last month, he said the school could open the door for other publicly funded religious schools.
“So any applicant that seeks secretarial funding, we are required to fund. So if it’s a satanic temple or a Shariah law-based sect, that wants funding, then we have to do it,” Drummond said.
He argued it is a clear breach of state and federal law.
“We have now, as a state, violated the U.S. Constitution, Oklahoma Constitution, Oklahoma statuary law, and breached our contract with the Federal Department of Education,” Drummond said.
If a judge sides with the charter school, St. Isidore would open its doors for the fall of 2024.
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