The Oklahoma lawyer normal’s workplace responded after the state’s training superintendent despatched an e-mail this week to public college directors requiring them to indicate college students his video announcement of a brand new Division of Non secular Freedom and Patriotism. Within the video, he prays for President-elect Trump.
Ryan Walters, a Republican, introduced the brand new workplace on Wednesday and on Thursday despatched the e-mail to highschool superintendents statewide. The brand new division shall be throughout the state’s Division of Training. Walters mentioned it could “oversee the investigation of abuses to particular person non secular freedom or shows of patriotism.”
“In one of many first steps of the newly created division, we’re requiring all of Oklahoma colleges to play the hooked up video to all children which can be enrolled,” based on the e-mail. Districts have been additionally advised to ship the video to all mother and father of scholars.
Within the video, Walters says non secular liberty has been attacked and patriotism mocked “by woke academics unions,” then prays for the leaders of the USA after saying college students would not have to hitch within the prayer.
Sue Ogrocki / AP
“Specifically, I pray for President Donald Trump and his crew as they proceed to result in change to the nation,” Walters mentioned.
The workplace of state Lawyer Normal Gentner Drummond issued an announcement Friday saying Walters has no authority underneath state regulation to problem such a mandate.
“Not solely is that this edict unenforceable, it’s opposite to oldsters’ rights, native management and particular person free-exercise rights,” mentioned the lawyer normal’s workplace spokesperson Phil Bacharach.
A number of college districts have additionally mentioned they’d no plans to indicate college students the video.
Walters, a former public college trainer elected in 2022, ran on a platform of preventing “woke ideology,” banning books from college libraries and eliminating “radical leftists” who he claims are indoctrinating kids in school rooms. He already faces two lawsuits over his June mandate that colleges incorporate the Bible into lesson plans for college kids in grades 5 by 12. A number of college districts have beforehand said that they are going to disregard the mandate.
One of many lawsuits additionally notes that the preliminary request for proposal launched by the State Division of Training to buy the Bibles seems to have been tailor-made to match Bibles endorsed by now President-elect Donald Trump that promote for $59.99 every.
Earlier this week, Walters introduced he had bought greater than 500 Bibles for use in Superior Placement authorities lessons. The training division that the five hundred Bibles are “God Bless the USA Bibles” and have been ordered Thursday for about $25,000. They’ll arrive “within the coming weeks,” the division mentioned.
