On Friday, November 08, 2024, Governor Kevin Stitt filed an amicus brief with the U.S. Supreme Court in support of the Oklahoma Statewide Charter School Board’s decision to grant St. Isidore, a Catholic institution, status as a charter school. Governor Stitt’s brief argues that denying St. Isidore a school charter solely because of its religious affiliation violates the Free Exercise Clause of the First Amendment.

Recognizing the public benefit that religious charter schools provide to Oklahoma students, parents, and educators, Governor Stitt challenged the Oklahoma Attorney General’s intolerance of religious freedom by reaffirming the state’s commitment to education and family rights.

The amicus brief reads, in part, “Governor Stitt is committed to ensuring that all Oklahoma parents, regardless of religious affiliation, have access to a diverse array of high-quality schooling options that allow them to make choices based on what is best for their children… Governor Stitt is compelled to speak on behalf of Oklahomans through this Brief because the Oklahoma Attorney General has deprived them of a true advocate by launching this attack against their religious liberty and educational freedom.”

Read the amicus brief in full here.