Technicality may void first religious charter school’s establishment.

Controversy Surrounds Establishment of First Religious Charter School in the US

A technicality could vacate the establishment of the United States’s first religious charter school.

What Happened?

Just half an hour before the vote that established the St. Isidore of Seville Catholic Virtual School as the nation’s first religious charter school, the Oklahoma Attorney General’s Office expressed an opinion that could reverse the decision. The office stated that Oklahoma City businessman Brian Bobek, the most recent appointee on the Oklahoma Statewide Virtual Charter School Board, is ineligible to vote until November. Bobek gave the needed in-favor vote that passed the resolution, meaning the decision to establish the school must be reversed if the attorney general‘s opinion is enforced.

Bobek was appointed to replace Barry Beauchamp on Friday. Deputy Attorney General Niki Batt argued that Beauchamp had not yet vacated his seat when Bobek’s deciding vote was cast, and that the new member must wait until November to take his place on the board. Board Chairman Robert Franklin said of Batt’s email, “It basically says he shouldn’t even be seated.”

The email stating the Attorney General’s Office’s opinion was not read before the Monday meeting, which began at noon. The email, obtained by Tulsa World, was timestamped at 11:34 a.m.

What’s Next?

Phil Bacharach, a spokesman for Attorney General Gentner Drummond, told the outlet that the attorney general will “will carefully weigh all available options before taking any action.”

It remains to be seen what will happen with the establishment of the St. Isidore of Seville Catholic Virtual School, but this technicality has certainly caused controversy and uncertainty.

Takeaways

• The establishment of the first religious charter school in the US is in jeopardy due to a technicality.
• Oklahoma City businessman Brian Bobek’s vote may be invalidated due to his ineligibility to vote until November.
• The Attorney General’s Office expressed this opinion just half an hour before the vote that established the school.
• The controversy surrounding this issue is ongoing, and it remains to be seen what will happen next.