We had a child molestation ring of priests for almost 30 years. Where are your guardrails?’
(Photo by Ben White on Unsplash)
By Kate Anderson
Daily Caller News Foundation
The Oklahoma Statewide Virtual Charter School Board (OSVCSB) voted on Tuesday to deny an application by a Catholic church to create a virtual religious charter school, according to a recording of the meeting.
The Archdiocese of Oklahoma City and the Diocese of Tulsa’s application to create the St. Isidore of Seville Catholic Virtual School would allow taxpayer funding to be used to pay for a religious charter and prompted a heated debate between elected officials and parents about the constitutional ramifications of such a decision. Despite this, the OSVCSB voted unanimously to reject the application, the first in the state.
Several individuals spoke ahead of the vote during the board meeting, all of which argued against the proposal, citing concerns about its constitutionality and the separation of church and state. One individual who identified herself as a pastor said that she supported the right to abstain from religion as much as the right to adhere to one’s religion.
Another commenter named Shawn Cummings said that as a Catholic himself he could not condone the measure and worried about the long-term impact the decision would have.