U.S. Supreme Court Deadlocks on St. Isidore of Seville Catholic Virtual School Case

OKLAHOMA CITY ( KFOR The United States Supreme Court has issued a ruling in the case of St. Isidore of SeVILLE Catholic Virtual School, Oklahoma Statewide Charter School Board (SCSB), versus Drummond.

This situation would have made St. Isidore the inaugural taxpayer-supported religious charter school in the country.

The verdict resulted from a evenly divided 4-4 vote among the eight Supreme Court justices, since Justice Amy Coney Barrett did not participate owing to her significant connections to the case.

FORMER COVERAGE: Intense debate arises as Supreme Court examines case of nation’s inaugural religious charter school

"I find this truly impressive. It's an excellent victory for Oklahoma," stated Oklahoma Attorney General Gentner Drummond.

Brian Shellem, the Chairman of the SCSB, stated, “We felt let down.”

The Oklahoma Supreme Court determined that the online Catholic charter school was unconstitutional. Due to a divided decision, the court's ruling will stand as it is.

A parent from Oklahoma who was involved as a plaintiff in the lawsuit against St. Isidore stated, "I believe it's crucial that the government doesn’t meddle with my efforts to practice my religion or pass these beliefs onto my kids."

"We had to rise as parents, for our children and our schools, and simply state that this isn’t American, this isn’t how we view democracy," Brewer further stated.

Other individuals responded to the decision, among them being State Superintendent Ryan Walters.

He released a comment regarding the decision, showing his dissatisfaction.

Permitting the exclusion of religious schools from our charter school initiative under the guise of

Religious prejudice in the 19th century is incorrect," stated Superintendent Walters. "Given my role as state superintendent, I do not condone this.

Will always support parents and families in combating religious discrimination and strive against it.

Until all children in Oklahoma can freely select the school that best caters to their needs, whether religious or not,

otherwise.”

We are disappointed; however, the outcome of this 4-4 decision without an opinion means the battle continues.

"Religious prejudice will persist in Oklahoma and throughout the nation," stated Hiram Sasser,

General Counsel for First Liberty stated, "We won’t cease our efforts until we achieve an end to this."

religious discrimination in education.”

State Superintendent Ryan Walters

During a press conference on Thursday afternoon, Superintendent Walters stated, "We're considering proposing an amendment to the state constitution to better address this matter. Additionally, we're exploring financial options for faith-based charter schools as part of Oklahoma’s future plans."

On Thursday morning, Oklahoma Governor Kevin Stitt likewise conveyed his comments in a press release.

This deadlock of 4-4 is inconclusive. Now we move into an additional round where another similar case will arise, and with Justice Barrett casting the deciding vote, the tie will be broken. The matter remains unresolved at present. Our commitment continues as we persistently advocate for parental rights to impart their beliefs onto their offspring and oppose any form of religious bias.

Governor Kevin Stitt

Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This content must not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or distributed.

To stay updated with the most recent news, weather forecasts, sports updates, and live streams, visit KFOR.com for Oklahoma City.