As Oklahoma pushes ahead with plans for the first ever taxpayer-funded Catholic public charter school, some say other religions should be included.
Rajan Zed, president of the Universal Society of Hinduism, says he wrote to the Statewide Virtual Charter School Board asking for an application to open a Hindu school.
“Religion is highly important and beneficial for the overall well-being of the society as a whole and this thing opens the door for other religions also to have their schools,” said Zed.
Zed wrote to the board last week and is still awaiting an answer. He says Hinduism is the third largest religion in the world and there are about 3 million Hindus in the United States, so the school would be valuable.
The request comes after the state charter board approved an application from the Catholic Archdiocese of Oklahoma City and the Diocese of Tulsa for the St. Isidore of Seville Catholic Virtual School.
Attorney General Gentner Drummond and advocate groups like Americans United for Separation of Church and State say they are eyeing legal challenges to St. Isidore.
The Statewide Virtual Charter School Board didn't immediately respond to a request for comment.
