The Oklahoma attorney general’s office recently responded to a controversial move by the state’s education superintendent, Ryan Walters. Walters, a Republican, made headlines this week when he announced the creation of a new Department of Religious Freedom and Patriotism within the state’s Department of Education. In an email sent to public school administrators, Walters required them to show students a video announcement of the new department, in which he prays for President-elect Trump.
The video, which has sparked a wave of backlash and controversy, features Walters discussing the importance of religious liberty and patriotism in the face of what he describes as attacks from “woke teachers unions.” He then proceeds to offer a prayer for the leaders of the United States, including President Trump. Despite the contentious nature of the video, Walters emphasizes that students are not required to participate in the prayer.
However, the office of state Attorney General Gentner Drummond quickly issued a statement denouncing Walters’ actions, asserting that he lacks the authority under state law to mandate such a directive. The attorney general’s office spokesperson, Phil Bacharach, condemned Walters’ edict as unenforceable and in violation of parents’ rights, local control, and individual free-exercise rights.
In response to Walters’ mandate, multiple school districts across the state have declared that they have no intention of showing the video to their students. This defiance underscores the growing resistance to Walters’ controversial initiatives, which have sparked a series of legal challenges and public outcry.
Walters, a former public school teacher who was elected in 2022, ran on a platform focused on combating what he refers to as “woke ideology,” banning books from school libraries, and purging classrooms of what he perceives as radical leftist influences. His previous mandate requiring schools to incorporate the Bible into lesson plans for students in grades 5 through 12 has already resulted in two lawsuits, with several school districts openly defying the directive.
One of the lawsuits highlights concerns about the procurement process for the Bibles, suggesting that the State Department of Education tailored the request for proposal to align with Bibles endorsed by President-elect Donald Trump. This perceived alignment with a specific brand of Bible, which sells for $59.99 each, has raised questions about the underlying motivations behind Walters’ initiatives.
In a separate development, Walters recently announced the purchase of over 500 “God Bless the USA Bibles” for use in Advanced Placement government classes. The education department revealed that the Bibles were ordered for approximately $25,000 and are slated to arrive in the coming weeks. This latest acquisition further underscores Walters’ commitment to promoting religious themes and patriotism within Oklahoma’s educational system.
As the controversy surrounding Walters’ actions continues to escalate, it remains to be seen how the state’s education system and legal authorities will navigate the complex intersection of religious freedom, patriotism, and individual rights. The clash between Walters’ initiatives and the principles of secular education and separation of church and state underscores the challenges facing policymakers and educators in an increasingly polarized society.
