The U.S. Supreme Court experienced a 4-4 split decision, with Justice Amy Coney Barrett recusing herself, leading to a block on establishing a taxpayer-funded religious charter school in Oklahoma.
With the ruling, St. Isidore of Seville Catholic Virtual School will not be able to be established with government funding.
Driving the news: Charter schools, like St. Isidore, operate under private management but draw funding from the state government.
- The proposed school was planned as a virtual learning institution from kindergarten through high school, integrating religious teachings into its curriculum.
The big picture: During oral arguments, conservative justices signaled sympathy towards the proposed school, while Chief Justice John Roberts raised concerns about the comprehensive nature of the school’s religious involvement.
- Oklahoma’s Republican Attorney General Gentner Drummond filed a lawsuit to block St. Isidore, emphasizing the need to prevent state-funded religion as dictated by the state’s constitutional framers and the founders of the country.
