First US Public Religious School Blocked by Oklahoma Justices

The Oklahoma Supreme Court on Tuesday stopped plans to open the first publicly funded religious charter school in the nation, in a case that may represent the next big court fight over the separation of church and state.

The state justices ordered the Statewide Virtual Charter School Board to rescind its contract to help open the St. Isidore of Seville Catholic Virtual School. They ruled that the contract runs afoul of the state and federal constitutions, along with Oklahoma’s law from 1999 that allowed for charter schools.

“Enforcing the St. Isidore Contract would create a slippery slope and what the ...