The Oklahoma State Superintendent of Education, Ryan Walters, has announced the creation of a new Department of Religious Freedom and Patriotism within the state Department of Education. In an email to public school superintendents, Walters mandated that all Oklahoma schools show a video announcement of the new department to students and also send it to parents. The video includes statements about defending religious liberty and patriotism against attacks by “woke teachers’ unions,” as well as a prayer for the leaders of the United States.
However, some of the state’s largest school districts, such as Edmond and Bixby, have stated that they do not plan to show the video. The state Attorney General’s office has also issued a statement saying that Walters does not have the authority to make such a mandate, which they deem to be contrary to parents’ rights and individual free-exercise rights.
Walters is already facing lawsuits over a previous mandate to incorporate the Bible into lesson plans, which was later amended after controversy surrounding the selection process. Despite this, he has purchased over 500 “God Bless the USA Bibles” for use in Advanced Placement government classes. Walters, elected in 2022, ran on a platform of combating “woke ideology” and removing alleged indoctrination efforts in classrooms.
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