Oklahoma’s attorney general is accusing a state board of trying to rig the legal fight over a proposed Jewish charter school – a dispute that could open the door for publicly funded religious charter schools across the United States.
Oklahoma
Oklahoma Attorney-General accuses rigging of Jewish charter shcool vote | The Jerusalem Post
Attorney General Gentner Drummond filed a motion this week asking an Oklahoma County district judge to intervene after the Statewide Charter School Board rejected an application to open the Ben Gamla Jewish Charter School, a virtual statewide school that would combine secular studies with Jewish religious instruction.
Drummond alleges that the board engineered its vote so the rejection would focus only on the school’s religious character, strengthening the legal case for the school’s supporters, who are preparing a federal lawsuit challenging Oklahoma’s ban on religious charter schools.
“A state agency that deliberately hobbles its own legal position is not doing its job – it is betraying Oklahoma taxpayers. I will not allow that,” Drummond said in a statement.
He added: “The Board deliberately suppressed those findings to manufacture a cleaner path to federal court. I will not allow this Board to rig the record at taxpayers’ expense.”
Drummond asked the court to order the board to issue a new rejection letter detailing all of the reasons the proposal was deficient.
The dispute centers on the National Ben Gamla Jewish Charter School Foundation, led by former Florida Democratic Rep. Peter Deutsch. The group applied to open a statewide online charter school serving kindergarten through 12th-grade students beginning next school year.
The proposal called for a curriculum combining secular coursework with daily Jewish religious studies. If approved, it would have become the nation’s first publicly funded religious charter school.
Jewish groups in Oklahoma have opposed the proposal, saying they prefer not to be thrust into the middle of a debate over church-state separation and that there is little demand for such a school among local Jewish residents.
The charter board voted earlier this week to reject the application, citing a 2024 Oklahoma Supreme Court ruling that charter schools must remain secular.
That ruling overturned a previous effort to open a Catholic charter school, St. Isidore of Seville Catholic Virtual School. An appeal to the U.S. Supreme Court ended in a 4–4 tie after Justice Amy Coney Barrett recused herself, leaving the state court decision in place.
Several board members said the precedent left them no choice but to reject Ben Gamla’s application.
At the same time, the board has signaled it may support the school’s broader constitutional argument in court. The board hired the conservative Christian legal group First Liberty Institute to represent it in the expected litigation and has indicated it could back the school’s position once a lawsuit is filed.
Drummond also fought Catholic charter school proposal
Drummond, who also fought the Catholic charter school proposal, said the legal question about religious charter schools had already been settled by the state courts and insisted his objection to the board’s vote was procedural rather than religious.
Among the issues he says the board improperly left out was a discrepancy in Ben Gamla’s projected enrollment.
Deutsch initially said the online school would serve about 40 high school students, but the formal application projected enrollment of 400 students across grades K-12.
State officials also raised questions about the composition of the school’s governing board. Oklahoma law requires a charter school board to include a parent or grandparent of a student. Ben Gamla listed Brett Farley, executive director of the Catholic Conference of Oklahoma, as its parent representative.
Supporters of the school have said they plan to challenge Oklahoma’s prohibition on religious charter schools in federal court, arguing that excluding religious schools from charter programs violates the Constitution’s protections for religious freedom.
The Oklahoma State Department of Education has launched the Oklahoma Educator Launch & Mentorship Initiative, a statewide effort aimed at improving teacher recruitment and retention through training, mentorship and financial support for educators.
Oklahoma Teacher Initiative
The program includes a five-day Summer Launch Institute scheduled for July 27–31, 2026, followed by year-long mentorship support for first-year teachers.
OSDE said new teachers will be paired with experienced educators throughout the school year to help strengthen classroom readiness and long-term retention.
“Participating first-year teachers may earn up to $2,000 in stipends, while mentors may receive up to $10,000 for supporting new educators,” said Autumn Kouba, OSDE’s senior director of teacher recruitment and retention.
Focus On Teacher Recruitment and Retention
State Superintendent of Public Instruction Lindel Fields said the initiative is designed to support teachers early in their careers while recognizing experienced educators who serve as mentors.
“Recruiting great teachers is only part of the equation,” Fields said in a release. “We also have to ensure they feel supported, prepared, and encouraged to remain in the profession.”
Program Details
- Summer Launch Institute runs July 27–31, 2026
- First-year teachers can receive up to $2,000 in stipends
- Mentors may earn up to $10,000
- Retired educators and experienced teachers can apply as mentors
What happens next?
Applications are open now, and the Summer Launch Institute begins July 27, 2026.
From their favorite music to their Braum’s order, Oklahoma City-area high school athletes have a wide range of views.
The Oklahoman asked each athlete who attended an annual media day to answer those questions and more.
Let’s get to know the athletes in the Prep Spotlight:
Order book on Oklahoma HS basketball at ‘The Big House’
Logan Janaway, Washington
Sport: Golf
Class: Sr. | Ht./Wt.: 6-5/240
College choice: Seminole State
Social media: @janawaylogan (Instagram)
Favorite Braum’s order: “Chicken strip dinner”
Favorite pregame musical artist and/or song: “Firefly” by Ty Myers
What’s your dream career outside of being a professional athlete? “Pharmacist”
Who’s the best athlete you’ve played against?: “(Oklahoma State golfer and former Community Christian star) Collin Bond”
If you could change your school mascot, what would it be and why?: “Bugs because annoying”
Nick Sardis covers high school sports for The Oklahoman. Have a story idea for Nick? He can be reached at nsardis@oklahoman.com or on Twitter at @nicksardis. Sign up for The Varsity Club newsletter to access more high school coverage. Support Nick’s work and that of other Oklahoman journalists by purchasing a digital subscription today at subscribe.oklahoman.com.
OKLAHOMA CITY, Okla. (KOKH) — Three Oklahoma wildland fire task forces are headed to Kansas to assist with wildfires in southwest Kansas.
Governor Kevin Stitt and the Oklahoma Department of Emergency Management (OEM) said three task forces made up of fire departments from Major, Noble, and Washington counties would assist with ongoing wildfires near Ashland.
The task forces include 32 firefighters, 15 brush trucks, and 1 tender. Crews will be deployed for 12 hours, but that period could be extended.
“Oklahoma is ready to extend the Oklahoma standard as communities respond to these fires,” said Governor Kevin Stitt. “Oklahoma Department of Emergency Management is activated and is deploying resources to assist local partners in need. We will continue to monitor the situation closely and provide updates as needed.”
The crews are deploying at the request of the Kansas Department of Emergency Management. The department requested assistance through the Emergency Management Assistance Compact (EMAC).
EMAC is a national aid system allowing states to send assistance to help with disaster relief efforts in other states.
“EMAC allows states to quickly share resources when they’re needed most, and we’re grateful our county partners are answering the call to support Kansas,” OEM Director Annie Mack Vest said.
OEM said more support may be deployed if needed.
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