OKLAHOMA CITY, Okla. — It was a packed house at Thursday’s regularly scheduled Oklahoma State Department of Education meeting. Educators and parents showed up to express frustrations and fear over Superintendent Ryan Walters controversial campaign-style rhetoric.
Some parents also questioned his leadership amid worries Walters may be deliberately stalling on applying for critical federal funding.
The public comment portion of the meeting lasted nearly an hour. Some of Walters’ supporters also showed up to reiterate his common talking points of indoctrination in schools and pornography in school libraries.
While many suggested Walters was dishonest and lying to the public, Walters responded with claims of lies as well—saying the teachers’ unions, Representative Mark McBride and the media were liars.
“I know just how powerful words are and the words you are choosing are vitriolic, dishonest and dangerous,” said Tulsa Public Schools Board Member Stacey Woolley, speaking as a parent. “They’re also inciting, sir, and that’s what genuinely scares me about my – our—kids.”
Woolley referenced the rise in school shootings and suggested his attacks toward teachers could cause violence. “Surely, as a dad, you know how dangerous it is to call teachers terrorists?” she asked.
“I want LGBTQIA parents and students to feel safe and loved and welcome like every human should be,” said Ashley Dailey, a mom of a first grade student. Walters often uses the graphic novels “Gender Queer” and “Flamer” as examples during claims that school libraries are filled with pornographic material. Those books have since been removed from school public libraries.
“I want you to consider this rhetoric of indoctrination is not happening,” said Susan Whitehorse Johnson.
Bob Lynn, President of the Oklahoma Conservative Political Action Committee, applauded Walters’ efforts as superintendent. “The vast majority of Oklahomans don’t want their son going to school and their teacher or anyone else suggest that they are a girl.”
Joy Howell came to support Walters’ as well by claiming the other commenters were taking his statements out of context. “I know Mr. Walters and he doesn’t speak rudely, he loves parents, he loves children, he loves teachers,” she said.
Erika Wright of the Oklahoma Rural Schools Coalition handed out copies of “Everybody Always” by Bob Goff and suggested that the board members read it. Earlier this year, when Wright expressed concerns about Walters support of religious schools, Walters called her a “radical leftist” against the Catholic Church.
“Not that it should matter but I am a Republican, not a leftist Marxist and certainly not a Catholic hater,” Wright said to him today. “Yet you chose to publicly attack me with outright lies for disagreeing with your opinion.”
When public comment was over, it was Walters’ turn to speak. He read portions of a letter he said was from the U.S. Department of Education that said there was no indication that federal funding was in jeopardy. However, the grants mentioned in the email were not the competitive grants lawmakers have been questioning Walters about.
An uproar ensued at the State Board of Education meeting Thursday when Walters tried to share a video some are describing as propaganda. 2 News Oklahoma went to review the content on the public link to the video Walters shared, but the content was private.
Late Friday morning, the video was rereleased and is now age restricted but available to watch on YouTube.
After a short discussion, the board moved on to the regular agenda. The Oklahoma Education Association responded to the video on its Facebook page:
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