ICYMI: Supt. Walters Stands Firm in Defense of Religious Charter Schools

Walters, First Liberty Institute File Brief Supporting St. Isidore in Supreme Court

OKLAHOMA CITY, OK – Oklahoma State Superintendent Ryan Walters, represented by First Liberty Institute, filed a friend-of-the-court brief in the U.S. Supreme Court in support of St. Isidore of Seville Catholic Virtual School, Oklahoma’s first religious charter school. The brief argues that excluding faith-based schools from the state’s charter school program violates the Free Exercise Clause of the U.S. Constitution.

Click here to read the full announcement. 

“As State Superintendent, I have an obligation to provide the best possible education opportunities to Oklahoma’s students while abiding by Oklahoma state law and the U.S. Constitution,” said state superintendent Ryan Walters. “I want to increase learning opportunities for all of our students by expanding education freedom, increasing the state’s number of charter schools, and giving parents the best possible options for their children.” 

“Excluding schools simply because they are religious is a clear violation of the Constitution,” said Kelly Shackelford, CEO and Chief Counsel of First Liberty Institute. “This case provides an opportunity for the Supreme Court to show that states cannot discriminate against religious schools.”

The U.S. Supreme Court is set to hear arguments in the case later this year. If the Court rules in favor of St. Isidore, the decision could set a major precedent for religious charter schools across the country.

Read the full brief here.

Following is a timeline of St. Isidore’s legal efforts to defend religious liberty in spite of opposition from Oklahoma Attorney General Gentner Drummond and the Oklahoma Supreme Court:

• June 2023 – The Oklahoma Statewide Virtual Charter School Board approved St. Isidore’s application, making it the first religious charter school in the nation.

• October 2023 – Oklahoma Attorney General Gentner Drummond filed a lawsuit seeking to block the school’s approval.

• December 2023 – Multiple legal challenges emerged, arguing that St. Isidore’s approval violated the Establishment Clause.

• January 2024 – The Oklahoma Supreme Court declined to immediately block the school from opening.

• March 2025 – Ryan Walters and First Liberty Institute file a friend-of-the-court brief urging the U.S. Supreme Court to protect religious schools from unconstitutional discrimination.