Walters Asks Department Of Education To Defend Publicly Funded Catholic Charter School

The State Supreme Court is expected to rule on a lawsuit filed against the nation’s first religious charter school soon. State Superintendent Ryan Walters is asking the Department of Education to get involved.

St. Isidore would be the first publicly funded Catholic charter school. It was approved by Oklahoma’s Virtual Charter School Board in June. Attorney General Gentner Drummond filed a lawsuit against the publicly funded school, calling it a violation of religious liberty.

Related: Oklahoma Leaders Disagree On Legality Of Publicly Funded Catholic School

Walters, on the other hand, wants the Department of Education to defend the distribution of state aid without, what he’s calling, religious discrimination.

“Rather than enshrine atheism as a state-sponsored religion, we are blessed that our Constitution guarantees religious liberty,” Walters said. “I will never back down in the fight to uphold religious liberty in our state.”