E’Lena Ashley Should Not Be Reelected to Tulsa Public Schools Board

E’Lena Ashley, the Tulsa Public Schools (TPS) Board of Education member for District 4, should not be reelected next Tuesday, because her record shows a pattern of putting her personal agenda, religious and political views over students.

Under her watch, TPS has been forced to spend more than $550,000 in legal fees defending itself against lawsuits she helped bring, draining resources from the district and students who need them most.

At the same time, Ashley continues to advance a political view that undermines students’ U.S. Constitutional right to an education as well as push her personal religious views into a public school system that serves children of all backgrounds—including those who are non-Christian and 2SLGBTQIA+. She has aligned herself with the framework of House Bill 1775, contributing to a climate where educators say it has become more difficult to teach about race, including the 1921 Tulsa Race Massacre, slavery, and the Civil Rights Movement.

Tulsa students will pay the price if Ashley is allowed to continue putting her agenda ahead of their education.

Ashley Failed Lawsuit Cost TPS More Than $550,000

Ashley’s most costly and disruptive action came when she helped bring a lawsuit against the TPS Board of Education over its superintendent search—alleging violations of Oklahoma’s Open Meeting Act and claiming decisions were made behind closed doors.

But the courts did not agree. A judge ultimately rejected the claims, finding insufficient evidence that the Board had violated the law in a way that warranted overturning its actions.

What remains is not accountability, but the bill.

More than $550,000 in taxpayer dollars was spent defending against a lawsuit that failed in court. That is money that could have gone toward reading specialists, classroom support, teacher retention, or student mental health services in a district already facing real challenges.

Moreover, Ashley voted against Dr. Ebony Johnson, the first Black woman to serve as superintendent of TPS, despite strong support from the community and public. Ashley remains openly opposed to Johnson’s leadership.

This is the clearest example of a pattern: using the power of an elected position not to strengthen public education, but to pursue political fights that come at a direct cost to students.

When leadership decisions result in wasted resources and no tangible benefit to children, voters have to ask a simple question: who is this really serving?

Ashley Questioned Which Students Belongs in the Classroom

Ashley has also advanced positions that undermine TPS’ students’ U.S. Constitutional right to an education, particularly for immigrant and vulnerable children.

She has publicly raised concerns about immigrant students in Tulsa classrooms, suggesting that some may be “undocumented and could pose safety risks”.

Under longstanding federal law, however, every child, regardless of immigration status, has the right to a free public education. That principle was firmly established in the 1982 Supreme Court decision Plyler v. Doe, which prohibits states from denying students access to public schools based on their legal status.

When an elected school board member casts doubt on whether certain children belong in the classroom, it does more than spark controversy; it sends a message about who is and is not welcome in Tulsa Public Schools. Furthermore, many considered her views and remarks to be racist.

For students who are immigrants, multilingual learners, or come from mixed-status families, that message can create fear, isolation, and barriers to learning. Schools are meant to be safe, inclusive environments where every child has the opportunity to succeed, not spaces where their right to be there is questioned.

This is not about politics. It is about whether those entrusted with overseeing public education are upholding the law and protecting every student’s right to learn.

When leadership undermines that foundation, the consequences are felt far beyond the classroom.

When Personal Beliefs Override Public Duty

On too many occasions, E’Lena Ashley has blurred the line between personal belief and public responsibility. As a school board member, she is tasked with serving every student in Tulsa Public Schools—not just those who share her political or religious views. Yet her actions reflect an effort to inject her own religious perspectives into decisions that should remain grounded in law, policy, and the needs of a diverse student body.

Public schools are not places for religious enforcement. They are institutions meant to educate, protect, and affirm all students—regardless of faith, identity, or background. When an elected official prioritizes personal doctrine over that responsibility, it sends a clear message to students who are non-Christian or LGBTQIA+: that their presence is conditional, and their identities are up for debate.

That is not inclusion. It is exclusion, and it has no place in a public school system.

E’Lena Ashley Aligned with anti-CRT Framework HB1775

Ashley has also aligned herself with the framework of House Bill 1775, the state’s controversial law restricting how race and gender can be taught in classrooms.

During board discussions, concerns about violating HB 1775 have shaped how curriculum is debated and evaluated, reinforcing a climate where educators must tread carefully when addressing race and history.

In a district like Tulsa, where the legacy of the 1921 Tulsa Race Massacre remains deeply relevant, that kind of approach raises serious concerns about whether students are receiving a full and honest education.

Why Tulsa Must Choose New Leadership

The record for E’Lena Ashley’s is not ambiguous. More than $550,000 in wasted resources, public statements that call students’ rights into question, and a willingness to inject personal religious beliefs, often anti-LGBTQIA+ views, into public education all point in the same direction.

Tulsa students cannot afford another term defined by division and distraction, not when a literacy crisis looms and Oklahoma’s current abysmal national academic ranking. For the sake of its students, voters should make clear that this kind of leadership has no place in Tulsa Public Schools and vote for Connie Dodson in Tuesday’s District 4 school board member election.