Overview
- The Oklahoma Statewide Charter School Board voted 4–3 to deny the Ben Gamla virtual Jewish charter, falling one vote short of the five needed under its bylaws and with one member absent and one seat vacant.
- A federal judge had issued a preliminary injunction saying Oklahoma cannot exclude the applicant solely because it is religious, a ruling that returned the matter to the state board and raises constitutional questions about free exercise and funding.
- Board members cited local opposition and concerns about the proposal’s readiness when voting against approval, and at least one member said letters from Oklahoma Jewish organizations influenced his decision.
- Reporting of internal Ben Gamla emails showed the founder set an aspirational first‑year enrollment of about 10 students and described an initial focus on high school grades, which contradicted the application’s K–12 enrollment projections and prompted doubts about viability and transparency.
- The decision is likely to provoke more litigation with Ben Gamla saying it will seek enforcement of the federal order and opponents ready to defend the state’s limits, a dispute that could move through the 10th Circuit and potentially reach the Supreme Court.