Interfaith Alliance Welcomes Major SCOTUS Victory for Religious Freedom in St. Isidore Catholic Charter School Case

SCOTUS vote prevents Oklahoma from using taxpayer funds to create Catholic charter school

WASHINGTON, DC – Interfaith Alliance, a national leader in defending religious freedom and multi-faith democracy, welcomed today’s major victory in a Supreme Court case preventing Oklahoma from using taxpayer funds to create a Catholic charter school.

Today’s 4-4 split vote keeps in place an Oklahoma Supreme Court ruling barring the state from approving a Catholic charter school.

Guthrie Graves-Fitzsimmons, a leader in progressive faith organizing as Vice President of Programs and Strategy at Interfaith Alliance, released the following statement:

“Religious charter schools are a clear violation of our nation's commitment to religious freedom for all, which is guaranteed by the separation of church and state. Today's victory at the U.S. Supreme Court is a victory for every student, every parent, and every American taxpayer's religious freedom in this country. All Americans are free to practice their faith when we uphold the constitution and avoid government entanglement with religion.”

In this case, the Oklahoma Statewide Charter School Board argued that, under the First Amendment, public funding for religious charter schools is required to balance public funding for nonreligious charter schools. 

Interfaith Alliance joined an amicus brief with other faith groups arguing that allowing the State of Oklahoma to fund religious charter schools would allow for unconstitutional discrimination based on the faith, identity and creed of students and teachers. The groups emphasized that this discrimination would undermine student success and create a dangerous precedent for religious freedom.

Rev. Paul Brandeis Raushenbush, President and CEO of Interfaith Alliance and Rev. Shannon Fleck, Executive Director of Faithful America rallied outside the Supreme Court during oral arguments in the St. Isidore cases on April 30. 

Images from the rally can be found here (1, 2, 3, 4).

‍Graves-Fitzsimmons is available for interview to discuss the importance of this win for religious freedom.

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Interfaith Alliance is a network of people of diverse faiths and beliefs from across the country working together to build a resilient democracy and fulfill America’s promise of religious freedom and civil rights not just for some, but for all. We mobilize powerful coalitions to challenge Christian nationalism and religious extremism, while fostering a better understanding of the healthy boundaries between religion and government. We advocate at all levels of government for an equitable and just America where the freedoms of belief and religious practice are protected, and where all persons are treated with dignity and have the opportunity to thrive. For more information visit interfaithalliance.org.

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