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Scholarship Program For Disabled Ruled Unconstitutional

Serge Melki
/
Flickr.com

An Oklahoma district judge has ruled that a portion of a scholarship program for students with disabilities that's funded with state money is unconstitutional.

The judge ruled Thursday that funds from the Lindsey Nicole Henry Scholarship Program cannot be used to send students to sectarian schools. The judge also stayed the order pending an appeal — meaning the program remains unchanged for the time being.

Oklahoma Attorney General Scott Pruitt says he will appeal the ruling.

Pruitt says prohibiting the use of the scholarship funds to send students who have disabilities to sectarian schools would require the state to discriminate against those schools.

The law allows public money to be used to send children with certain documented disabilities to private schools, including religious schools.

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