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Oklahoma Parents Fight First State-Funded Catholic School In Us
A big lawsuit has been filed to challenge the creation of the first religious school that would be funded by the government. This case was filed on Monday in a court in Oklahoma County. It means that there will be a long process of legal arguments and discussions about whether it’s okay to use public money to support religious schools.
The school involved is called St. Isidore of Seville Catholic Virtual School. A group called the Oklahoma Parent Legislative Action Committee, which supports public schools and is not tied to any political party, is upset about the idea of a Catholic charter school.
They are joined by nine parents, religious leaders, and other people who care about public education. Together, they have filed a lawsuit. They believe that having a Catholic charter school goes against the state’s laws. They want a judge to stop the school, St. Isidore of Seville, from opening and getting money from the state.
Some Catholic officials say that charter schools are like private schools, even though they use money from taxes. They believe that a religious school should be allowed to get funding from the government, just like other charter schools.
On the other hand, some people who disagree with this idea argue that using public money for a religious school goes against the rule that says religion and government should be separate. They worry that it could lead to treating certain groups unfairly.
St. Isidore of Seville is a school named after the patron saint of the internet. The school says it will be a real part of the Catholic Church and will help spread the church’s beliefs. The Catholic Pastoral Center in Oklahoma City will be its main office, and two important church leaders, Archbishop Coakley, and Bishop Konderla, will choose the people who will run the school.
In June, the Oklahoma Statewide Virtual Charter School Board voted 3-2 to allow the school to be created. This decision got a lot of attention across the country.
The board’s chairperson, Robert Franklin, knew that a lawsuit might happen because of the vote. He said he was worried about the impact on Oklahoma taxpayers and the whole process. He was one of the two board members who voted against opening St. Isidore.
The people who filed the lawsuit have lawyers representing them from local law firms and also from national groups like the American Civil Liberties Union, the Freedom from Religion Foundation, and Americans United for Separation of Church and State (AU).
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