Oklahoma Schools Receive Fake Ryan Walters Packages

Mystery packages arrived at school districts across Oklahoma this week. Inside, nearly 100 pages of fake documents claimed to be from state Superintendent Ryan Walters.

First reported by StateImpact Oklahoma, the strange packages were addressed to superintendents at various districts. It's unknown exactly how many received a copy.

In the Oklahoma City metro, Oklahoma City Public Schools, Edmond Public Schools, Deer Creek Schools, and Mid-Del Schools each confirmed it received one.

Inside, a hastily photoshopped logo for the Oklahoma State Department of Education was adorned on a letter signed by “Ryan Walters, Secretary of Education,” which is not Walters' title.

“OSDE is aware of a fraudulent, Soros-backed mailer that purports to offer guidance on instruction involving the Bible to Oklahoma school districts,” said a spokesperson for the State Department of Education. “The letter and other materials contain the Oklahoma state seal as well as a forged copy of Superintendent Walters’ signature but did not originate with OSDE or the Superintendent. This is a very serious situation and any attempt to target Oklahoma schools will be met with the full force of the law. We encourage all districts who receive this package to report it to local law enforcement and reach out to OSDE with any questions.”

There is no direct evidence of who the mail came from, except for an address to a P.O. Box in Connecticut allegedly belonging to a company named Syncretic Pedagogical Services, LLC. However, there is no record of a business entity by that name in Connecticut.

One superintendent pointed out biblical inaccuracies contained within the material sent to districts. The document was titled, “The Book of Aaron: A Lost Book of the Pentateuch.”

Districts that received this package all say they quickly identified it was a hoax.

The State Department of Education issued its actual guidelines on teaching from the Bible a month ago. Those guidelines state the Bible will only be used in a historical, cultural, and literary context.