Tennessee Parents and Faith Leaders Seek to Block Religious Public School
KNOX COUNTY, Tenn. — Five Knox County taxpayers dedicated to supporting public education and the separation of church and state filed a motion today in federal court seeking to intervene in a case about the constitutionality of a religious public charter school that is attempting to open in Knoxville.
The lawsuit, The Wilberforce Academy of Knoxville v. Knox County Board of Education, was filed in November 2025 by a religious organization that wants to run a public charter school—funded by taxpayers—that, according to the school’s own legal complaint, would provide an “explicitly biblical and Christian education.” The proposed intervenors are seeking to join the lawsuit on the side of the defendants, the Knox County Board of Education and its members. They oppose Wilberforce Academy’s effort to force the defendants to authorize and fund it as a religious public charter school.
The proposed parties are public school parents and faith and community leaders who object to their tax dollars funding a public charter school that will indoctrinate students into one religion, in violation of Tennessee and federal law and our nation’s longstanding commitment to the separation of church and state. They want to ensure that public schools remain secular and open to all.
“Public education is part of the common good. A religious charter school would be at odds with the need to ensure public schools remain appropriate for and welcoming to students of all faiths, families, and backgrounds,” said proposed intervenor Amanda Collins, a retired school psychologist and parent of Knox County public school students. “And it would divert already limited public funds and scarce resources away from other public schools in Knox County. We can’t let this happen.”
The motion to intervene explains that charter schools are part of Knox County’s public education system, and as such, cannot promote religious doctrine. Like all public schools, charter schools must accept and serve all students and may not be run as religious schools.
The proposed parties are asking the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Tennessee to allow them to participate in the case in order to safeguard these interests.
“The Reformed tradition in which I am formed has long supported the separation of church and state, believing that our faith, and all faiths, are best supported when they are free of undue state interference. This is why I object to the use of tax dollars to support religious education of any kind, including my own religion. Religious education is the job of churches, denominations, and private religious schools,” said the Rev. Dr. Richard Coble, another proposed intervenor, who is a pastor at Westminster Presbyterian Church in Knoxville and the parent of two Knox County public school students.
The proposed parties are represented by Education Law Center, Americans United for Separation of Church and State, the American Civil Liberties Union, the American Civil Liberties Union of Tennessee, Freedom From Religion Foundation, the Southern Poverty Law Center, and the law firm Morrison Foerster pro bono.
The motion to intervene is available here.
PRESS CONTACTS:
Education Law Center: Sharon Krengel, skrengel@edlawcenter.org, 973.624.1815, x240
Southern Poverty Law Center: Vanessa Harmoush-Ising, press@splcenter.org
Americans United: Moisés Serrano, media@au.org
Freedom From Religion Foundation: Amit Pal, apal@ffrf.org
Morrison Foerster: pr@mofo.com
ACLU: media@aclu.org
ACLU-TN: communications@aclu-tn.org
ABOUT THE ORGANIZATIONS:
Education Law Center (ELC) pursues justice and equity for public school students by enforcing their right to a high-quality education in safe, equitable, non-discriminatory, integrated, and well-funded learning environments. ELC seeks to support and improve public schools as the center of communities and the foundation of a multicultural and multiracial democratic society. Visit edlawcenter.org.
Americans United for Separation of Church and State is a religious freedom advocacy organization based in Washington, D.C. Founded in 1947, AU educates Americans about the importance of church-state separation in safeguarding religious freedom. Learn more at www.au.org.
The Freedom From Religion Foundation is a U.S.-based nonprofit dedicated to defending the constitutional principle of separation between state and church and educating the public on matters relating to nontheism. With about 42,000 members, FFRF is the largest association of freethinkers (atheists, agnostics and humanists) in North America. For more information, visit ffrf.org.
Morrison Foerster is a leading global law firm. Morrison Foerster lawyers passionately care about delivering legal excellence while living the firm’s values and enhancing their ability to provide top-class legal services for our clients. For more information, visit www.mofo.com.
The Southern Poverty Law Center is a catalyst for racial justice in the South and beyond, working in partnership with communities to dismantle white supremacy, strengthen intersectional movements and advance the human rights of all people. For more information, visit www.splcenter.org.
For more than 100 years, the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) has worked in courts, legislatures, and communities to protect the constitutional rights of all people. With a nationwide network of offices and millions of members and supporters, the ACLU takes on the toughest civil liberties fights in pursuit of liberty and justice for all.
The American Civil Liberties Union of Tennessee (ACLU-TN) is an affiliate of the national ACLU. For more than 50 years, ACLU-TN has worked to defend the principles of liberty, equality, and justice guaranteed by the U.S. Constitution. Learn more at www.aclu-tn.org.
Press Contact:
Sharon Krengel
Director of Policy, Strategic Partnerships and Communications
skrengel@edlawcenter.org
973-624-1815, x240