Okla. Families, Teachers, & Faith Leaders File Lawsuit Against Ryan Walters’ Bible-Education Mandate

32 Oklahomans, including parents, teachers, and faith leaders, filed a lawsuit Thursday asking the Oklahoma Supreme Court to block State Superintendent of Public Instruction Ryan Walters’ mandate that all public schools incorporate the Bible into their curriculum, according to a press release sent Thursday.

The lawsuit, Rev. Lori Walke v. Ryan Walters, seeks to stop the state from spending millions of taxpayer dollars on Bibles to support the mandate, the release stated.

The 32 plaintiffs include 14 public school parents, four teachers, and three faith leaders who object to Walters’ mandate, arguing it imposes his personal religious beliefs on children in violation of religious freedom and the separation of church and state, according to Thursday’s release.

The plaintiffs represent a variety of religious backgrounds, including Baptist, Catholic, Presbyterian, and United Church of Christ, while some identify as atheist or agnostic, the release noted. Concerns were raised regarding the impact of the Bible mandate on families, particularly those with LGBTQ+ members or children with special educational needs, fearing increased bullying, the release stated.

The lawsuit is supported by Americans United for Separation of Church and State, the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), the ACLU of Oklahoma Foundation, the Freedom From Religion Foundation, and the Oklahoma Appleseed Center for Law and Justice, according to Thursday's release.

Other plaintiffs and supporting organizations, including the ACLU and Freedom From Religion Foundation, described the Bible mandate as a violation of state law and the Oklahoma Constitution, according to the release. They argue that Walters is favoring one religion over others by mandating a Protestant version of the Bible and that officials failed to follow the required rules for implementing new policies and spending public money, Thursday’s release stated.

Walters issued the mandate on June 27, requiring public schools to “incorporate the Bible, which includes the Ten Commandments,” into the curriculum for grades 5-12, the release noted. The lawsuit asserts that this mandate, along with Walters’ plan to spend $3 million on a specific version of the King James Bible, violates Oklahoma’s religious freedom protections, according to the release. Walters plans to request another $3 million next year for additional Bible purchases, the release stated.

The defendants in the lawsuit include Walters, the Oklahoma State Department of Education, the State Board of Education, and the Oklahoma Office of Management and Enterprise Services, along with several state officials.

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