Oklahoma's Republican Attorney General Gentner Drummond on Friday sued to stop a state board from establishing and funding what would be the nation's first religious public charter school after the board ignored Drummond's warning that it would violate both the state and U.S. constitutions.
Drummond filed the lawsuit with the Oklahoma Supreme Court against the Oklahoma Statewide Virtual Charter School Board after three of the board's members this week signed a contract for the St. Isidore of Seville Catholic Virtual Charter School, which is sponsored by the Archdiocese of Oklahoma City.
The school board voted 3-2 in June to approve the Catholic Archdiocese's application to establish the online public charter school, which would be open to students across the state in kindergarten through grade 12.
A message left Friday with Rebecca Wilkinson, the executive director of the Oklahoma Statewide Virtual Charter School Board, was not immediately returned, although Wilkinson has said previously she wouldn't comment on pending litigation.
The National Alliance for Public Charter Schools, a nonprofit organization that supports the public charter school movement, released a statement Friday in support of Drummond's challenge.
Persons:
General Gentner Drummond, Drummond, Isidore of, Rebecca Wilkinson, Wilkinson, Isidore, Kevin Stitt, “, Stitt, Stitt's, ” Drummond
Organizations:
Republican, Oklahoma Supreme, Oklahoma Statewide, Charter School Board, Isidore of Seville Catholic Virtual Charter School, Archdiocese, Oklahoma City, Catholic, Oklahoma's Republican Gov, GOP, Oklahoma, National Alliance for Public Charter Schools
Locations:
U.S, Isidore of Seville, Oklahoma