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In a 4-to-4 decision, the court upheld a ruling by the Oklahoma Supreme Court that blocked the school.
May 22, 2025, 10:25 a.m. ET
A divided Supreme Court rejected a plan on Thursday to allow Oklahoma to use government money to run the nation’s first religious charter school, which would teach a curriculum infused by Catholic doctrine.
The court split 4 to 4 over the Oklahoma plan, with Justice Amy Coney Barrett recusing herself from the case, and the decision provided no reasoning.
The decision means that an earlier ruling by the Oklahoma Supreme Court will be allowed to stand. The state court blocked a proposal for the Oklahoma school, St. Isidore of Seville Catholic Virtual School, which was to be operated by the Archdiocese of Oklahoma City and the Diocese of Tulsa, and aimed to incorporate Catholic teachings into every aspect of its activities.
The brief ruling in one of the most anticipated cases of the term came as a surprise, after the oral arguments in April. A majority of the justices had appeared open to allowing Oklahoma to use government money to run the nation’s first religious charter school.
This is a developing story. Check back for updates.
Abbie VanSickle covers the United States Supreme Court for The Times. She is a lawyer and has an extensive background in investigative reporting.
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