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Civil Rights Groups Applaud Oklahoma Charter School Board for Rejecting Nation’s First Religious Public School

A coalition of civil rights organizations today applauded the Oklahoma Statewide Charter School Board for rejecting Ben Gamla Jewish Charter School’s application to form the nation’s first religious public charter school, which would have been a flagrant violation of Oklahoma and federal law guaranteeing religious freedom, church-state separation, and that public schools be open to all.

The coalition includes Americans United for Separation of Church and State, the American Civil Liberties Union, Education Law Center, Freedom From Religion Foundation, and Oklahoma Appleseed Center for Law and Justice. The groups issued the following statement in response to today’s decision:

“By refusing to approve what would have been the nation’s first religious public school,  the Oklahoma Statewide Charter School Board is protecting Oklahomans’ religious freedom, public education, and church-state separation. As the Oklahoma Supreme Court recently reaffirmed, charter schools are public schools that must be secular and open to all students. We’re proud to be part of a large and diverse group of Oklahomans and people nationwide who are committed to defending America’s secular public education system.”

In a letter to the board last week, the coalition explained the many ways Ben Gamla’s proposed school would violate state and federal law by indoctrinating students in a specific religion and discriminating against students, staff and, potentially, parents. The groups also pointed to substantial deficiencies in required elements throughout the application, as well as passages that appear to have been copied from other schools’ applications and are plainly inapplicable to Ben Gamla.

Most of these organizations represented Oklahoma public school advocates, parents, and faith leaders in a 2023 lawsuit to block Oklahoma from creating and funding St. Isidore of Seville Catholic Virtual School. The Oklahoma Supreme Court ruled that proposed religious public charter school unconstitutional in 2024, a decision the U.S. Supreme Court let stand in 2025.

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Media Contacts:

Founded in 1947, Americans United for Separation of Church and State is a religious freedom advocacy organization that educates Americans about the importance of church-state separation in safeguarding religious freedom.

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. For more information, visit www.aclu.org.

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. 

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.

Oklahoma Appleseed Center for Law and Justice is a 501(c)3 public interest law firm that fights for the rights and opportunities of every Oklahoman.

Related Story:

CIVIL RIGHTS GROUPS URGE OKLAHOMA OFFICIALS TO REJECT APPLICATION FOR BEN GAMLA RELIGIOUS PUBLIC CHARTER SCHOOL

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Press Contact:
Sharon Krengel
Director of Policy, Strategic Partnerships and Communications
skrengel@edlawcenter.org
973-624-1815, x240