Bixby Superintendent Sues State Superintendent Ryan Walters For Defamation

Bixby superintendent Rob Miller is suing Oklahoma State Superintendent Ryan Walters for defamation.

The feud started two weeks ago when Walters called Miller a liar and a clown at a news conference after Miller questioned why the district wasn't receiving its funding numbers.

Walters has continued to call Miller a liar in several interviews since. 

Miller's attorney, Michael Barkett, says it’s time for Miller to take a stand.

Bixby Public Schools starts the new school year next week, and Superintendent Rob Miller says that's his main focus but felt this lawsuit was his only way to fight back. 

A tweet from Rob Miller asking for state funding information started a contentious exchange with Ryan Walters. 

“It's nearly August, and #oklaed schools have yet to receive Title I allocations from OSDE for FY25, which started July 1. Districts used to get preliminary figures in the spring, most recently in May 2022, under previous. SDE leadership. These were helpful in planning budgets,” Miller posted.” The talent drain at the OSDE and the absence of leadership and accountability are directly responsible for this situation. Maybe Ryan Walters can take a break from his travel and media events, stop by the office (if he remembers where it is), and help us out.

“He's a liar. I mean, he's really a true embarrassment. So you know Rob, Rob's a liar and a clown,” Walters said.

Miller asked for a public apology, but he never got one. 

Walters was asked on Thursday about calling Miller a liar and a clown and said, “To be clear, that was a month ago. To be clear, the superintendent lies on a regular basis.”

Full Interview: 'I'm All About Kids:' Ryan Walters Responds To Calls For Investigation Into His Department

On a phone call with News On 6, Miller says enough is enough and enough.

He filed a defamation lawsuit accusing Walters of using “false and malicious statements” about Miller.

“In Mr. Miller's case, Ryan Walters has even doubled down recently against him baselessly, and falsely, and maliciously and so, as everyone has the right to do, Mr. Miller has chosen to use the court system to try to put an end to what Mr. Walters is trying to do to him,” said Barkett.

Barkett says earning and keeping public trust is important in Miller's position as superintendent, and Walters' comments could hurt the school district. 

“When someone in a position of Mr. Walters falsely accuses him of not being fit to perform his job and especially not fit to manage the public finances of the school, that's terribly damaging to his reputation, his ability to perform,” said Barkett. 

Barkett says Miller and Walters have not had a conversation about their issues; they've only communicated through social media, interviews, and news releases. All the while, Barkett says Bixby Public Schools still hasn't received the funding information Miller originally asked for. 

A spokesperson for Walters sent News On 6 a statement that says:

“No one is surprised that Miller would abuse the legal system by filing a frivolous lawsuit after trying for days to defame Superintendent Walters in the media. This lawsuit is a political stunt by a man with a vendetta, not a legal case.”

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