Columbus, OH – On Thursday, The Buckeye Institute filed an amicus brief in Oklahoma Statewide Charter School Board v. Drummond and St. Isidore of Seville Catholic Virtual School v. Drummond, calling on the U.S. Supreme Court to hear the cases and reaffirm that the government cannot discriminate against religious schools by excluding them from generally available programs.

“One thing, at least, is undisputed—children in Oklahoma, and across the nation, deserve a high-quality education to prepare them for college and real life,” said David C. Tryon, director of litigation at The Buckeye Institute. “But the decision of the Supreme Court of Oklahoma and decisions like it discriminate against education programs intended to increase options available to children and their parents and violate the U.S. Constitution.”

In its brief, The Buckeye Institute argues that, as they have elsewhere, entrenched special interests are trying to take away educational “opportunities once reserved to the rich and powerful.” As the brief outlines, the turning point in Ohio’s school choice debate came when Democratic Cleveland City Councilwoman Fannie Lewis and The Buckeye Institute joined forces to host the Summit on Vouchers in 1994. The summit brought together hundreds of parents and concerned citizens, many of whom had children stuck in Cleveland’s failing public schools. The parents heard from Polly Williams, a democratic Milwaukee legislator who championed school choice in Wisconsin. This event galvanized the parents who took their demands for school choice to their elected representatives in Columbus. These efforts, combined with Republican support for school choice, led to the passage of the Cleveland Scholarship and Tutoring Program.

Alliance Defending Freedom represents the Oklahoma Statewide Charter School Board in the case.

# # #