The ongoing issue of Bibles and religion in public schools in Oklahoma classrooms went to another round in the battle Friday, as State Superintendent of Public Instruction Ryan Walters released a video mandate to educators.
Walters emailed Oklahoma superintendents late Thursday requiring a 90-second video be shown to students and parents. Superintendents in Bixby, Jenks, Edmond and Piedmont said they do not have plans to show it.
In the video, Walters says radical, liberal viewpoints should not be tolerated in public schools.
“For too long in this country we’ve seen the radical left attack individual religious liberties in our schools. We will not tolerate that in Oklahoma.”
Walters recently created the Office of Liberty and Patriotism in the Department of Education.
In the video for school students, Walters prays in the video and says 500 Bibles have been purchased to go into AP government classrooms so far.
Piedmont Superintendent Drew Eichelberger said the video will not be required viewing in the district.
“Piedmont Schools does not plan to distribute the video from Mr. Walters to students and families in our district. District legal counsel confirmed the Oklahoma State Department of Education does not have the authority to require the viewing or distribution of this video. Piedmont Schools will continue to teach the Oklahoma State Standards and curriculum approved by our school board,” a statement from Eichelberger reads.
In July, Eichelberger reacted to Walters’ directives to implement the Bible in classroom coursework.
The use of the Holy Bible in state classrooms was addressed in July in a letter to Piedmont school patrons from Superintendent Drew Eichelberger.
Piedmont Schools will continue to teach the Bible but will not add to the curriculum as directed by State Schools Superintendent Ryan Walters, Eichelberger said.
In a letter to patrons in July Eichelberger wrote, “Teaching any specific religious doctrine or practice is not a part of the current standards.”
