Supreme Court Deadlocks Upholding Oklahoma Ban on Religious Charter School

The U.S. Supreme Court deadlocked 4-4 on the case involving Oklahoma's attempt to establish St. Isidore of Seville Catholic Virtual School, the nation's first taxpayer-funded religious charter school, effectively upholding the Oklahoma Supreme Court's ruling that the school's creation violated both the state constitution and the federal Establishment Clause. Justice Amy Coney Barrett recused herself from the case due to personal connections to advisors of the school, leading to the tie. The lower court had ruled that using public funds for a religious charter school blurred the line between church and state and was unconstitutional. Oklahoma officials, including Governor Kevin Stitt, vowed to continue fighting for parental rights and religious education, anticipating future cases where Barrett might break such ties. Opponents argued that funding the school could undermine public education and blur church-state separation. The Supreme Court provided no further explanation or breakdown of votes, leaving the issue unresolved but delaying the establishment of a publicly funded religious charter school in the U.S.