Drummond comments on state Supreme Court ruling against taxpayer-funded religious public charter school

OKLAHOMA CITY (June 25, 2024) -- Oklahoma Attorney General Gentner Drummond made the following remarks today after the state Supreme Court ruled against allowing what would have been the nation’s first taxpayer-funded, state-sponsored religious public charter school.

“This decision is a tremendous victory for religious liberty. The framers of the U.S. Constitution and those who drafted Oklahoma’s Constitution clearly understood how best to protect religious freedom: by preventing the State from sponsoring any religion at all. Now Oklahomans can be assured that our tax dollars will not fund the teachings of Sharia Law or even Satanism. While I understand that the Governor and other politicians are disappointed with this outcome, I hope that the people of Oklahoma can rejoice that they will not be compelled to fund radical religious schools that violate their faith.”

In June 2023, the Statewide Virtual Charter School Board approved a contract with St. Isidore of Seville Virtual Catholic Charter School. Drummond contested that action as a violation of the state and U.S. constitutions. He filed a lawsuit against the virtual charter school board in October of last year.

Read the Court's decision.