In a decision this week, the state Supreme Court denied that request. The court said both the department and Walters could “submit a brief as ‘amici curiae’” in the case by later this month.

In a separate decision, the court granted a request to intervene from St. Isidore itself, allowing it to participate in the suit.

The state education department did not respond to a request for comment on the decision. St. Isidore also did not respond to a request for comment before publication.

When filing the suit last month, Drummond said the charter board’s contract approval “violated the religious liberty of every Oklahoman” by forcing state residents to fund “the teachings of a specific religious sect with our tax dollars.”

“Today, Oklahomans are being compelled to fund Catholicism,” Drummond said at the time. “Because of the legal precedent created by the board’s actions, tomorrow we may be forced to fund radical Muslim teachings like Sharia law.”

The attorney general’s lawsuit came after another lawsuit filed by several state residents and interest groups to block the sponsorship and funding for the Catholic charter school.

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