Federal Judge Bars Oklahoma From Excluding Ben Gamla Jewish Charter School
Published
U.S. District Judge David L. Russell on Thursday granted the backers of the proposed Ben Gamla Jewish Charter School a preliminary injunction, ruling that Oklahoma cannot "single out religious schools for exclusion solely because of their religious character." The National Ben Gamla Jewish Charter School Foundation and its founder, Peter Deutsch, applied in December 2025 to open a virtual charter school teaching academics alongside Jewish religion, texts, holidays and practices; the Oklahoma Statewide Charter School Board denied it on religious grounds. Russell found that the nonsectarian requirement violates the Free Exercise Clause. He called the issues "exceedingly close," citing the Supreme Court's 4-4 split in a 2025 Oklahoma religious charter school case.