Oklahoma Superintendent Faces Backlash Over Religious Liberty Initiative
Oklahoma State Superintendent of Public Instruction Ryan Walters has ignited controversy with his latest initiative—a newly established Office of Religious Liberty and Patriotism. In a recent email sent to all school superintendents, Walters mandated the screening of a video titled "Prayer for the Nation," which promotes a prayer for President-elect Donald Trump and encourages students to participate.
Walters’ push comes amid ongoing accusations of bias in his statements regarding Black history and his advocacy for a Christian nationalist curriculum in schools. In the video, Walters argues that liberal forces and teachers’ unions are undermining religious liberty, framing the issue as a fight against a "radical left" agenda. This has drawn immediate criticism from various organizations, including the Freedom from Religion Foundation, the ACLU, and Americans United for Separation of Church and State.
These groups have firmly opposed Walters’ directive, warning that it violates both the U.S. Constitution’s First Amendment and the Oklahoma Constitution. A coalition letter sent to superintendents emphasized that coercing students to view the prayer video infringes on their religious freedoms, stating, "It is beyond dispute that… government may not coerce anyone to support or participate in religion."
In response to these challenges, Walters asserts that the Office of Religious Liberty and Patriotism aims to uphold the rights of parents, teachers, and students to practice their faith freely. He contends that secularization in public schools correlates with declining academic performance, further linking educational failings to the absence of religious principles.
Oklahoma currently ranks as the state with the worst educational outcomes. As the debate over religious expression in schools intensifies, Walters’ actions are poised to fulfill a national conservative agenda while prompting legal and educational ramifications in his state.
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