OKLAHOMA CITY, Okla.–Advocates for public education are celebrating after the Oklahoma Supreme Court temporarily blocked far-right State Superintendent Ryan Walters from mandating a Bible curriculum in classrooms, but his efforts to upend the U.S. and Oklahoma Constitutions show no signs of stopping.
The state’s highest court ruled Monday against the Oklahoma State Department of Education, ordering “work on any new request by the OSDE for the purchase of Bibles is STAYED.”
The decision to temporarily stop Walters from using state funds for Bibles in the classroom comes after years of controversy and criticism toward Walters from lawmakers and voters across the aisle.
Several Republicans joined Democrats in calling for impeachment proceedings against Walters in August, but former Oklahoma House Speaker Charles McCall refused to allow it to move forward unless it received at least 51 Republican signatures. It didn’t. McCall is now running for Oklahoma Governor.
Walters’ attempts to use state funding for religious instruction has now faced rejection from the Republican-controlled Oklahoma Legislature and the Oklahoma Supreme Court.
Walters faces criticism
In a recent move, Governor Stitt, who first elevated Walters to power as his former Secretary of Education, moved to dilute his power when he recently removed two OSDE board members, replacing them with his fresh picks. It hasn’t stopped Walters from pursuing political battles for Bible mandates and against Oklahoma’s teacher workforce.
Stitt also rejected Walters’ attempts to allow immigration checks in public schools, a proposal that faced widespread protests.
“The Bible is woven into America’s history,” Walters said in an interview with News Nation. “It’s quoted by leaders, echoed in speeches, and shaping our values. We will teach the Bible in its historical context, because understanding our past helps us build a stronger future.”
State lawmakers reject Walters’ request
As Oklahoma’s reading and math scores remain near the lowest in the nation, Walters has faced criticism for spending taxpayer dollars on public relations firms to promote himself for national exposure.
He’s referred to teachers’s unions as terrorists while accusing the state’s minority party, Democrats, of forcing indoctrination in Oklahoma Public Schools.
Before Trump signed an executive order, Walters had been calling to abolish the federal Department of Education for months.
“Abolishing the DoE is the first step to making sure our kids are getting back to real learning, not radical indoctrination. It’s time to put education back where it belongs— In the hands of states and parents,” he tweeted on X last week.
Petitioners, led by Rev. Dr. Lori Walke, sued in October 2024 to prevent Ryan Walters from forcing teachers to use the Bible in classroom teachings. Undeterred, Walters proposed $3 million in state funding for the purchases in an address to members of the Oklahoma Legislature in February.
Last week, an Oklahoma Senate education committee rejected Walters’ request.
“That request was not approved. Sen. Pugh [R-Edmond] and Sen. Seifried [R-Claremore] and the rest of the committee was really focused on budget requests that didn’t have a lot of legal complications affiliated with it. (We) really wanted to focus on reading and math. You can tell that was a big priority,” said state Sen. Mary Boren (D-Norman).
Ryan Walters pushes Bible donations amid legal setback
On Monday, the Oklahoma Supreme Court weighed in, putting a halt to Ryan Walters’ Bible plans while the broader constitutionality of the proposal continues litigation.
The plaintiffs in the case, are represented by the Americans United for Separation of Church and State, the American Civil Liberties Union, the ACLU of Oklahoma Foundation, the Freedom From Religion Foundation and Oklahoma Appleseed Center for Law & Justice. They celebrated the temporary win in a joint statement.
“This victory is an important step toward protecting the religious freedom of every student and parent in Oklahoma. Superintendent Ryan Walters has been abusing his power and the court checked those abuses today. Our diverse coalition of families and clergy remains united against Walters’s extremism and in favor of a core First Amendment principle: the separation of church and state.”
Despite the setback in his efforts to reshape public education, State Superintendent Ryan Walters announced a partnership with Lee Greenwood on March 5 to bring Bibles into the classroom through donations, rather than taxpayer funds.
In a statement on March 5 rejecting what he calls “radical liberal opposition” from the courts and media, Walters vowed to continue his efforts to bring Bibles into the classroom, despite the Oklahoma Constitution’s clear language.
“The Bible is indispensable in understanding the development of Western civilization and American exceptionalism, history and all similar subjects,” Walters stated. “The ongoing attempts to remove it from our classrooms is an attack on the foundation of our country.”
According to Article II, Section 5 of the Oklahoma Constitution, “No public money or property shall ever be appropriated, applied, donated, or used, directly or indirectly, for the use, benefit, or support of any sect, church, denomination, or system of religion, or for the use, benefit, or support of any priest, preacher, minister, or other religious teacher or dignitary, or sectarian institution as such.
As U.S. President Donald Trump moves forward with his efforts to dismantle the federal Department of Education, OSDE may play an even bigger role in shaping the future of Oklahoma children.
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