A federal court cleared the path for the National Ben Gamla Jewish Charter School Foundation to participate in Oklahoma’s charter program, blocking the state from excluding Ben Gamla because of its religious character. Ben Gamla was founded nearly two decades ago in Florida, and its charter schools provide a high-quality education to students of all faiths, focused on Hebrew language, culture, and history. After Ben Gamla applied to open as an online option for families in Oklahoma, the Oklahoma Charter School Board praised its educational model, but rejected the application for being a religious school.
In National Ben Gamla Jewish Charter School Foundation, Inc. v. Shellem, Ben Gamla challenged Oklahoma’s policy of denying charter school opportunities to faith-based applicants while allowing a wide range of other privately operated charter schools to participate. The court ruled last week that Oklahoma cannot continue enforcing that exclusion against Ben Gamla while the lawsuit moves forward, giving Ben Gamla a fair shot to provide another high-quality option for Oklahoma families.
