religious schools

A Notre Dame Law School amicus brief is urging the U.S. Supreme Court to take up the question of religious exclusions in higher education funding. The filing argues that programs excluding religious institutions or students from otherwise available public funding raise constitutional concerns and warrant the Court's attention. The brief adds to ongoing legal debate over equal treatment of religious organizations in government benefit programs.

A federal court ruling has cleared the way for a Jewish charter school to open in Oklahoma. The decision is significant because charter schools are publicly funded, raising unresolved questions about the separation of church and state. The case is expected to draw further legal challenges as other states and religious groups watch closely for its implications on publicly funded religious education.

A Palestinian careers adviser in Sydney has filed a racial discrimination lawsuit, alleging she was told to stop wearing the keffiyeh at the school where she works. The case, reported by the Guardian, touches on debates over Palestinian identity, religious and cultural dress, and workplace rights in Australia, particularly amid heightened tensions around the Israel-Gaza conflict.

A federal judge has ruled that Oklahoma cannot block a Jewish charter school from opening in the state. The decision means state education authorities must permit the school to proceed, despite prior attempts to deny its charter. The case touches on questions of religious schools and public funding, and reactions are likely to focus on its implications for church-state separation in American education.

A dispute over whether New York's Hasidic yeshivas provide adequate instruction in English, math, science and other secular subjects remains unresolved. The issue, which has drawn state investigations and community pushback, continues to pit education officials against yeshiva leaders and their supporters.

A renewed push for religious charter schools is drawing attention, centering on the Ben Gamla Jewish charter school proposal in Oklahoma alongside the St. Isidore Catholic case. Supporters argue states cannot exclude religious groups from charter programs, while opponents warn the move blurs the line between church and state and could reshape publicly funded education across the country.

Italian ministers have reached agreement on measures that would ban the burqa and niqab in schools and cap the number of foreign students in classrooms. The plan, reported by BBC World, is drawing attention both in Italy and internationally, with supporters framing it as an integration measure and critics likely to see it as restrictive of religious freedom and migrant rights.

Riverside Church in New York, Columbia University's Climate School and the Center for Earth Ethics opened Climate Week with an event featuring former Vice President Al Gore, focused on mobilizing public action on climate change. The gathering paired religious and academic institutions with political advocacy, emphasizing grassroots mobilization alongside policy work during the annual climate summit period.

Parents are pressing the US Supreme Court to safeguard religious education, arguing that families should be able to choose faith-based schooling without government interference. Reports say the case has drawn attention from education advocates and religious groups on both sides, with supporters calling it a matter of parental rights and critics warning about the separation of church and state.

The IRS has issued Private Letter Ruling 202639013, exempting a church-affiliated school from filing a required information return, on the condition that the school obtains a nondiscrimination certification. The ruling, highlighted in a client alert by JDSupra, signals continued IRS scrutiny of racial nondiscrimination policies at religiously affiliated educational institutions even when filing obligations are waived.

The Archdiocese of Oklahoma City says it has 'no plan' to move forward with St. Isidore of Seville Catholic Virtual Charter School, even after a legal win that opened the door to religious charter schools. The development came alongside approval of a Jewish charter school in the state, a sign the ruling is expanding religious options in Oklahoma education, though the Catholic school's backers are not seizing the moment.

The US Supreme Court deadlocked in a case over whether states must fund religious charter schools, leaving the constitutional question unresolved. A new Oklahoma case is now testing the same issue, keeping alive the debate over whether charter schools with religious affiliations can receive public money while excluding religious instruction from state funding rules.