The Oklahoma State Department of Education, directed by State Superintendent Ryan Walters, released a mandate in July of this year explicitly stating that Oklahoma students will soon be required to learn from the Christian Bible during classroom instruction for “historical context.”
“The Bible is a necessary historical document to teach our kids about the history of this country, to have a complete understanding of Western Civilization, to have an understanding of the basis of our legal system, and is frankly, one of the most foundational documents used for the Constitution and the birth of our country,” Walters explained on his X platform.
According to the mandate, the Bibles Walters wants for classroom instruction must contain the Pledge of Allegiance, the Declaration of Independence, the Constitution, and the Bill of Rights. Each copy must also be leather-bound and include the New King James version of the Old Testament.
As a result of the Department of Education’s specific standards, one copy is eligible for classroom instruction: Lee Greenwood’s God Bless the USA Bible, promoted by President-elect Donald Trump. So far, Trump has made $300,000 endorsing Greenwood’s Bible, priced at $60 per copy.
The Oklahoman reported that Walters wants $4 million in state funds to provide Bibles for 55,000 Oklahoma classrooms, leading many to wonder why this number of Bibles are needed. As per the State Department of Education’s website, there are 43,000 teachers employed in the State of Oklahoma.
Walters is currently under investigation for misuse of federal and state funds. As of October 10th, Walters has accumulated over $100,000 in legal fees paid for by Oklahoma taxpayers.
Oklahomans in opposition
Many school districts in Oklahoma have denied enforcing Walter’s mandate.
In response to the mandate, Norman Public Schools Superintendent Nick Migliorino affirmed, “Norman Public Schools is not going to have Bibles in our classrooms, and we are not going to require our teachers to teach from the Bible. The standards are clear and our curriculum is very clear. And we aren’t going to deviate from that.”
On October 17th, 32 plaintiffs with varying religious and political affiliations filed a lawsuit against Walters. Rev. Lori Walke v. Ryan Walters disputes Walter’s Bible mandate due to the First Amendment in the U.S. Constitution regarding religious freedom and the separation of church and state.
Plaintiff Reverend Lori Walke, Minister of Mayflower Congregational United Church of Christ in Oklahoma City explained “The state mandating that one particular religious text be taught in our schools violates the religious freedom of parents and children, teachers, and taxpayers. The government has no business weighing in on such ideological decisions. I’m proud to join this lawsuit because I believe that Walters plan to use taxpayer money to buy Bibles and force public schools to teach from them is illegal and unconstitutional.”
Emboldened by the recent presidential election, Walters has continued carrying out his religious agenda.
On November 14th, OSDE purchased 500 of Lee Greenwood’s Bibles to distribute to Oklahoma AP Government classes. The price tag, paid for by Oklahoma taxpayers, totaled $25,000.
Furthermore, on November 15th, Walters emailed superintendents across the state directing that school leaders show a video to all students. In the video, Walters invites students to pray with him for Donald Trump.
Edmond Public Schools Superintendent Grunewald issued a swift response to Walter’s video in an email sent to EPS families.
In the email, she stated, “we will not show the video to any students and we will not be sending it to our EPS families. We are continuing to teach the Oklahoma State standards and curriculum approved by our local School Board that we have always taught. Any changes would be based on local decisions.”
