Supreme Court Draws the Line: Oklahoma’s Catholic Charter School Plan Halted

In a significant ruling on Thursday, the U.S. Supreme Court was deadlocked 4-4, effectively maintaining a lower court decision that blocked the establishment of St. Isidore of Seville Catholic Virtual School, the country’s first taxpayer-funded religious charter school in Oklahoma. The tie means the Oklahoma court’s decision, which found that the combination of a religious curriculum and state subsidy would violate the establishment clause of the First Amendment, stands. 

 

The case attracted national attention as it pushed the boundaries of religious freedom and the constitution’s separation of church and state in public education. Conservative Justice Amy Coney Barrett recused herself from hearing the case due to her connections to people involved in supporting the school, leading to a tie vote. 

 

As a result of the Supreme Court’s case, the Oklahoma court’s previous ruling is upheld, preventing the state from proceeding with the establishment of the proposed Catholic charter school. Supporters of the school claimed it would increase educational choice, while opponents claimed it would diminish protections against government endorsement of religion, and perhaps further the path toward state-sponsored discrimination. 

 

Today’s decision does not resolve the much broader issue of religious charter schools at the national level. This tie does not set a binding precedent for other states. 

 

Source: Devdiscourse