December 2024
Dear Superintendent Walters,
We write to you today as concerned citizens, parents, educators, and community members who believe it is time for you to step down from your position as Oklahoma Superintendent of Public Instruction. Your tenure has been marked by controversy, poor judgment, and policies that prioritize partisan politics over the education of Oklahoma's children. There would be no shame in stepping down - it would be an act of service to the state and its students.
The evidence of your failed leadership is overwhelming and undeniable. From explicit content displayed in your office to unconstitutional mandates forcing religious instruction in public schools, you have consistently demonstrated a lack of judgment and accountability that has failed our students, teachers, and communities.
The Evidence of Failure
The data speaks for itself - Oklahoma's education system is failing under your leadership:
WalletHub School Systems Ranking
NAEP Reading Performance
NAEP Math Performance
Overall Education Ranking
Funding vs. Results
Bottom Line
Oklahoma is consistently ranked among the worst states for education.
Our children deserve better leadership and results, not more excuses.
A Pattern of Controversy and Poor Judgment
Your tenure has been marked by a disturbing pattern of concerning behavior and policy decisions that raise serious questions about your judgment and fitness for office:
Explicit Images on Office Television
July 2025What happened: Two State Board of Education members alleged that during an executive session in Walters's office, a TV was displaying images of nude women. When asked to turn off the TV, Walters denied any intentional wrongdoing.
Response: Oklahoma County District Attorney declined to file charges, citing "insufficient evidence." Investigators claimed the TV was tuned to a 1985 Jackie Chan movie that included a scene with nudity.
Concerns: Critics say the incident raises serious questions about judgment, transparency, and professional conduct in the workplace.
Screenshot evidence from the incident
Bible Instruction in Public Schools
2024-2025What happened: Walters issued a memo requiring all public schools to teach the Christian Bible and have a Bible in every classroom. He threatened that teachers who refused might lose their jobs.
Funding request: Requested $3 million from the legislature to purchase Christian Bibles for schools.
Legal issues: State legislators argued this violates separation of church and state under Oklahoma's constitution. Lawsuits were filed to block the mandate.
Backtrack: Due to pushback, Walters revised the request to include founding documents separately from the Bible.
"Culture War" Policies & Anti-Wokeness Agenda
2024-2025Teaching license revocations: Directed attempts to revoke teaching licenses of teachers critical of HB 1775 (restricting instruction on race, gender, etc.).
Election conspiracy theories: Introduced social studies standards requiring students to "identify discrepancies in 2020 elections results," promoting contested claims about mail-in ballots.
"America First" test: Announced that teachers from "blue states" must pass an "anti-woke" test developed with PragerU. One person intentionally got all answers wrong and still received a "Certificate of Completion," revealing the test's lack of rigor.
Controversial Appointments & Library Policy
2024-2025Libs of TikTok appointment: Appointed Chaya Raichik, the person behind the "Libs of TikTok" social media account (known for anti-LGBT content), to Oklahoma's Library Media Advisory Committee.
Library attacks: Rejected widely accepted information literacy standards, calling them "woke," and accused librarians of promoting pornography without clear evidence.
Media censorship: Banned The Black Wall Street Times (a Black-owned newspaper) from interviews after the editor criticized Walters.
Tulsa Public Schools Accreditation Crisis
2023What happened: Threatened to revoke accreditation of Tulsa Public Schools (TPS), which would lead to a state takeover. The announcement came just before the school year, creating chaos.
Consequences: TPS teachers resigned, parents protested, and superintendent Deborah Gist left. The State Board eventually rated TPS "accreditation with deficiencies" rather than full revocation.
Opposition: Local officials including the Tulsa mayor, state legislators, and Cherokee Nation leadership opposed the threat as overreach.
Campaign Finance Violations & Ethics Issues
2022-2025Campaign violations: Fined for 14 violations of Oklahoma state campaign finance ethics rules after his 2022 campaign. He contested 13 of those violations.
Nonprofit questions: Questions about overlapping roles, compensation, and funding sources between his government position and Every Kid Counts Oklahoma nonprofit.
Federal investigation: Audit of "Bridge the Gap" program found $1.7 million spent on non-educational items (kitchen appliances, furniture, entertainment) under his oversight. This misspending is under investigation by federal authorities.
Nex Benedict Death & LGBTQ+ Policy Backlash
February 2024Tragedy: In February 2024, nonbinary student Nex Benedict died, drawing intense scrutiny of Oklahoma's policies on LGBTQ+ students and bullying.
Organizational response: Over 350 organizations (LGBTQ+, civil rights, advocacy groups) called for Walters's removal, accusing him of creating a hostile environment toward LGBTQ+ youth.
Walters's response: Defended his positions, stating rejection of "multiple genders" and that his policies were consistent with his beliefs.
Key Observations
- Pattern of behavior: Many controversies revolve around the intersection of education, religion, and politics, with Walters making culture war issues central to his agenda.
- Legal constraints: Several actions face legal challenges or may violate constitutional limits, employee rights, or First Amendment constraints.
- Overreach concerns: The Oklahoma Attorney General opined that the State Board cannot unilaterally create rules about library materials and sex education without legislative authority.
- Impact on students: Critics argue his approach politicizes education, undermines academic integrity, and harms vulnerable student populations.