Faith leader joins lawsuit against public religious school

(NewsNation) — Oklahoma’s attorney general has sued to stop what would be the first publicly funded religious school in the U.S., and one of the latest parties in the lawsuit is a retired Baptist minister.

The Oklahoma Statewide Virtual Charter School Board approved funding for the St. Isidore of Seville Catholic Virtual Charter School, which would teach children from kindergarten through 12th grade. The school is sponsored by the Catholic Archdiocese of Oklahoma City.

Oklahoma Attorney General Gentner Drummond, a Republican, sued to stop funding the school on the grounds it violates both the federal and Oklahoma state constitutions. Oklahoma Gov. Kevin Stitt denounced the lawsuit, but the case has attracted the support of others, including retired Baptist minister Bruce Prescott.

Stitt called the school a win for religious liberty and freedom. But Prescott disagrees, telling NewsNation there are already options for people who want a religious education.

“There are the schools are funded by private contributions from the people that are involved with that particular faith group,” he said. “That’s exactly what we have always done, and I think would be the best to do.”

Drummond and Prescott argue arguing the use of public funds violates the separation of church and state, a topic which is made even more explicit in the Oklahoma state constitution. It specifically prohibits the use of state funds to benefit, directly or indirectly, any church or system of religion.

“If we really want to have religious liberty for everyone, then we need to find a way to keep the public schools so that they’re religion-neutral,” Prescott said. “That’s not really hostility toward religion, it’s really respecting the diversity of religious beliefs of the community.”

Prescott noted that religious schools appeal to the portion of the community that follows their faith but would discriminate against those whose religion is different. Because there aren’t enough public schools to go around, he said, it would create conflicts between different groups.

“We have a responsibility to make sure that every child in America is educated regardless of their faith, and they need to have a public option, which is what we have in the public schools where everyone is welcomed and no one is discriminated against,” he said.