Updated: Ryan Walters announces Bible directive for Oklahoma public schools

OKLAHOMA CITY — State Superintendent Ryan Walters announced at an Oklahoma State Board of Education meeting that public school districts will be required to incorporate the Bible in their curricula effective immediately.

Citing a state statute that directs the Oklahoma State Board of Education to adopt academic standards that include the study of important historical documents, Walters made the announcement at the beginning of Thursday's meeting. He said each school district will be required to incorporate the Bible in its curriculum and ensure that a copy is kept in every classroom.

"My staff has been looking at Oklahoma state statutes," he said. "We've been looking at the Oklahoma Academic Standards, and it's crystal clear ... that the Bible is a necessary historical document to teach our kids about the history of this country, to have a complete understanding of Western civilization, the basis of our legal system and is frankly ... one of the most foundational documents for the Constitution and foundation of our country."

Although Walters said repeatedly that Bibles must be kept in every public school classroom in the state, a memorandum from Walters to superintendents, Oklahoma's congressional delegation, Gov. Kevin Stitt, House Speaker Charles McCall and Senate President Pro Tem Greg Treat states that the edict applies only to grades five through 12.

The memorandum also states that OSDE "may supply teaching materials for the Bible, as permissible, to ensure uniformity in delivery."

Walters did not say what version of the Bible would be authorized.

By law, the state establishes Oklahoma Academic Standards, which serve as expectations for what students should know and be able to do by the end of the school year, but what curriculum and materials are used to meet those expectations is decided by locally elected school boards.

When reached Thursday afternoon, a spokesman for the Oklahoma Attorney General's Office said state law already allows teachers to have Bibles in the classroom and incorporate them into instruction.

After the meeting, Walters told reporters that the biblical instruction would be strictly from a historical perspective and would focus solely on its role in American history.

However, he did not provide a timeline on when guidance on the memo would be released. The earliest Tulsa-area schools to start the 2024-25 academic year begin classes on Aug. 7.

"We've got to make sure that our kids look back at our founding and can have an understanding of the role the Bible and the faith of the founders played," said Walters. "And we're going to make sure Oklahomans understand that."

The announcement was met with sharp criticism Thursday from several members of the Oklahoma Legislature, as well as from some of the communities that would be directly affected by its implementation.

State Reps. Melissa Provenzano and John Waldron, Democrats from Tulsa who are former public school educators, in a shared statement advised district leaders to "carefully review and follow existing state law when it comes to religious instruction in schools."

In 2016, Oklahoma voters rejected a state question that would have amended the state constitution to remove language barring the use of public funds for religious purposes.

"We know from the outcome of SQ 790 that Oklahomans are overwhelmingly against using public dollars to fund religious purposes," Provenzano said. "The Oklahoma Constitution is very clear on what is allowed when it comes to public education."

Waldron called the directive "ridiculous" and "unconstitutional" with no connection to the academic goals set for state public schools.

Sen. Carri Hicks, another former classroom teacher, also released comments on the directive from Walters, saying, "This new order does not provide solutions to the real problems facing our schools, and yet again, more taxpayer dollars that could have better supported our students and teachers will likely be diverted to address legal challenges."

In an email Thursday morning, Adam Soltani, executive director of the Oklahoma Chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations, also condemned the announcement.

"Religious freedom, as outlined in the Constitution, allows for the academic instruction of religion in subjects such as geography, social studies and history," Soltani wrote. "To require religious scripture, regardless of which one it may be, to be incorporated into lessons in our schools, however, is a clear violation of the establishment clause of the Constitution and infringes on the rights of our students and their families.

"Ryan Walters should reconsider his actions of using his position and influence to promote what appears to be a personal Christian Nationalist agenda, as it does not contribute to the advancement of our children's education."

Walters' announcement was also denounced by the Oklahoma Education Association, whose members would be among those expected to carry out the directive.

In a written statement, the organization pointed to a recent Oklahoma Supreme Court ruling upholding Edmond Public Schools' inclusion of "The Kite Runner" and "The Glass Castle" in its library as proof of school districts' right to decide what materials to include in their curricula rather than the state superintendent's.

"Teaching about the historical context of religion (and the Bible) is permissible; however, teaching religious doctrine is not permissible," the OEA said in the statement. "Public schools cannot indoctrinate students with a particular religious belief or religious curriculum.

"The State Superintendent cannot usurp local control and compel education professionals to violate the Constitution."

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