Diverse Coaltion Defends Religious Freedom at U.S. Supreme Court
Caroline MolloyOver two dozen amicus briefs are filed in support of Catholic educators represented by the Notre Dame Law School Religious Liberty Clinic.
On Wednesday, the United States Solicitor General’s Office, 12 states, and a diversity of religious groups, charter school organizations, state and federal officials, legal advocates, scholars, and more filed friend-of-the-court briefs in support of St. Isidore of Seville Catholic Virtual School before the U.S. Supreme Court. Represented by Notre Dame Law School’s Lindsay and Matt Moroun Religious Liberty Clinic, Dechert LLP, and Perri Dunn PLLC, St. Isidore’s leaders are defending their right to participate in Oklahoma’s charter school program to bring a new educational opportunity to families across the state.
Oklahoma’s charter school program fosters educational pluralism and choice by supporting an array of independently designed, privately run schools that offer a variety of learning environments to all children. St. Isidore was denied participation simply because it is Catholic.
“Oklahoma’s charter school program is about empowering families to choose the education that best fits their own kids. It encourages private educators to innovate and bring new high-quality schools to the table,” said John Meiser, director of Notre Dame Law School’s Religious Liberty Clinic. “St. Isidore asks for the simple freedom to join in and help expand those choices – the Constitution is clear that it cannot be denied that right simply because of its religion.”
“The Constitution forbids States from attempting to carve out religious schools from a program that generally permits private entities to receive public funds,” stated the amicus brief for the United States Solicitor General’s Office. “That rule applies with equal force here, to Oklahoma’s attempt to exclude a school from a charter-school program based solely on religious character. That restriction should have been a non-starter.”
