The Oklahoma Supreme Court dealt Ryan Walters another blow Sept. 15 and he responded by calling the court “embarrassing and … out of step with Oklahomans.”
Walters, the state superintendent of schools, is easily the most controversial person ever to hold that post. He has generated national headlines and intense criticism even from other conservatives for his push to enshrine evangelical Christianity in Oklahoma public schools.
On Monday, the state’s high court — which is stacked with conservatives — temporarily blocked his controversial new academic standards for social studies education while a lawsuit challenging their constitutionality is pending. It was a 5-2 vote.
That means Oklahoma schools must revert to the previous version of the social studies standards approved in 2019 until the legal challenge is resolved. The ruling says the state cannot enforce or spend funds to implement the 2025 social studies standards.
Mitch Randall
The legal challenge was brought by a group of 33 Oklahoma parents, teachers and faith leaders, including Mitch Randall, executive director of Good Faith Media, an informal ministry partner of Baptist News Global.
The latest ruling came in the lawsuit Rev. Dr. Mitch Randall v. Ryan Walters, which was filed in July. It was an attempt to stop Walters from implementing his social studies standards while the original case, Rev. Lori Walke v. Ryan Walters, is pending before the Oklahoma Supreme Court.
Americans United for Separation of Church and State, which is representing the plaintiffs in the case, explained in a news release: “The court’s ruling today puts on hold Walters’ new standards, which are replete with several dozen references to the Bible and Christianity while containing few mentions of other faiths; inaccurately present Bible stories as literal, historical facts; inaccurately proclaim the Bible’s and Christianity’s influence on the founding of America and the country’s laws; and require other inaccurate teachings, including presenting disproven contentions about the legitimacy of the 2020 election and conveying as unquestioned truth the controversial theory that the COVID-19 pandemic originated in a Chinese laboratory.”
The challenge not only opposes the curriculum itself but the way it was adopted. Plaintiffs also contend the State Department of Education failed to uphold state laws and regulations, including the Oklahoma Open Meeting Act. And half the board’s members said they were unaware the standards they approved contained significant differences from the original draft the Education Department released in December.
“Public school classrooms may not be used to endorse religious doctrine — no matter what the religion is or how many people follow it,” said Brent Rowland, legal director for Oklahoma Appleseed, which also represents the plaintiffs. “Blocking these standards means Oklahoma students can learn history and civics in a way that respects every family’s beliefs while inspiring them to think critically, ask questions and engage as informed members of our democracy.”
“Today’s ruling will help ensure that Oklahoma families — not politicians — get to decide how and when their children engage with religion,” said Rachel Laser, president of Americans United. “These new social studies standards would violate students’ and families’ religious freedom by promoting one version of Christianity and advancing Christian nationalist disinformation.”
Related articles:
Another lawsuit filed to stop Bible-based curriculum in Oklahoma
Oklahoma schools chief mandates Bibles in every public school classroom
Ryan Walters orders all Oklahoma schoolchildren to pray for Trump
Oklahoma Supreme Court blocks Bible curriculum for now