Oklahoma's New Education Department Sparks Controversy

In a surprising move, Ryan Walters, the state's education superintendent, has caused a stir by creating a new department focused on religious freedom and patriotism. He sent an email to all public school superintendents, asking them to show students a video announcement of this new department. This video is meant to be played to all enrolled students and sent to their parents as well. Walters, a Republican, made some bold statements in the video. He claimed that religious liberty has been under attack and that patriotism has been mocked by certain groups, specifically mentioning "woke teachers unions. " He also prayed for former President Donald Trump and his team, stating that students didn't have to join in. The new department, according to Walters, will keep an eye on any abuses related to individual religious freedom or displays of patriotism. However, not all districts are on board. Two of the state's largest school districts, Edmond and Bixby, have no plans to show the video to students. The attorney general's office has chimed in, saying Walters doesn't have the legal authority to issue this mandate. They argued that it goes against parents' rights, local control, and individual freedoms. This isn't the first time Walters has faced backlash. He's currently dealing with two lawsuits over his previous mandate to include the Bible in lesson plans for students in grades 5 through 12. Some school districts have already said they won't follow this new mandate. It's also been noted that the initial request for Bible purchases seemed to favor a specific type of Bible endorsed by Trump, which were later found to be printed in China at a much lower cost than sold.