Supreme Court blocks creation of first religious charter school in US

WASHINGTON − A divided Supreme Court on Thursday blocked the creation of the nation's first religious charter school, a major loss for those advocating a greater role for religion in public life.

The court split 4-4 over whether to allow St. Isidore of Seville Virtual Charter School, keeping in place the Oklahoma Supreme Court's decision that a religious charter school would violate the Constitution’s clause aimed at keeping religion separate from government.

Justice Amy Coney Barrett did not participate in the decision, leaving the nine-member court evenly divided. Although she didn't give a reason, Barrett is close friends with the Notre Dame Law School professor who was an early legal adviser to the Catholic Church in Oklahoma, which wanted to open St. Isidore.