Charter School Claims Vote Is Delayed Over Board Member's Personal Issue With Application

The application process for a charter school in the Wheeler District in south Oklahoma City has taken a controversial turn. Western Gateway Elementary School will offer dual immersion language programs. The school hopes to open next year, but the OKCPS Sc

Thursday, May 9th 2019, 6:40 pm

By: Karl Torp

Charter School Claims Vote Is Delayed Over Board Member's Personal Issue With Application

The application process for a charter school in the Wheeler District in south Oklahoma City has taken a controversial turn.

Western Gateway Elementary School will offer dual immersion language programs. The school hopes to open next year, but the OKCPS School board pushed back the application vote to July, citing concerns over "potentially discriminatory admissions practices."

School organizer Blair Humphreys says the vote was pushed back, because they didn't comply with the personal demands from school board member Paula Lewis.

Humphreys says Lewis would not approve the school unless Blair's father Kirk Humphreys made a certain anti-discrimination policy change at John Rex, where he serves on the board. That change did not happen.

You may remember, Kirk Humphreys resigned from the OU Board of regents after making controversial comments about homosexuality on a tv show.

Blair Humphreys outlines the accusation in a letter sent to board members.

Lewis tells News 9 while she continues to be outraged by Kirk Humphreys' comments, they had nothing to do with postponing the vote.

The earliest the school board can now vote on Wester Gateway’s application is July.

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