The Oklahoma Department of Education has announced the creation of an "Office of Religious Liberty and Patriotism" aimed at safeguarding the religious practices of students, teachers, and parents.
This initiative was revealed in a statement on Tuesday, ensuring that individuals can “practice their religion freely in all aspects” and investigate “any abuses related to religious freedom or expressions of patriotism.”
The office plans to provide specific guidance to Oklahoma public schools soon, with assurances that “the right to pray in schools is safeguarded.” State Superintendent Ryan Walters expressed concern over what he perceives as a decline in religious liberty within public schools, claiming that they have become “tragically ground zero for the erosion of religious liberty across our country” over recent decades.
Walters criticized the “radical left” for allegedly using teacher unions to indoctrinate children against traditional values centered around faith and family, stating, “It is no coincidence that the dismantling of faith and family values in public schools directly correlates with declining academic outcomes in our public schools.”
The new office is designed to assist educators and students when their constitutional rights are threatened by “well-funded, out of state groups.” The announcement referenced a previous incident in Skiatook, where legal pressure resulted in the removal of Bible verses from school displays.
The Freedom From Religion Foundation (FFRF), a Wisconsin-based secularist legal organization advocating for strict church-state separation, responded to the office's establishment with criticism, labeling it unnecessary. FFRF tweeted, “Students have always had the right to pray. No one is trying to take that away. This dystopian 'office of Religious Liberty and Patriotism' is about indoctrination and forced prayer in schools.”
Earlier this year, Walters drew national attention when he mandated that public schools integrate the Bible into their curriculum, alongside plans to allocate $3 million for Bibles for schools. In response, a coalition of parents, teachers, and clergy from various faith backgrounds filed a complaint against Walters' actions, arguing that they “interfere with the parents' ability to direct the religious and moral upbringing of their children” and “violate the Oklahoma Administrative Procedures Act.”
The plaintiffs were represented by FFRF, the Oklahoma chapter of the American Civil Liberties Union, the Oklahoma Appleseed Center for Law & Justice, and Americans United for Separation of Church and State.
Walters responded to the lawsuit in an emailed statement to The Christian Post, asserting, “Oklahomans will not be bullied by out-of-state, radical leftists who hate the principles our nation was founded upon.” He emphasized the necessity of understanding American history and culture, stating, “It is not possible for our students to understand American history and culture without understanding the Biblical principles from which they came.”
He further proclaimed his commitment to reintroducing the Bible into every classroom in Oklahoma, asserting, “I will never back down to the woke mob, no matter what tactic they use to try to intimidate Oklahomans.”
