Office: Oklahoma Superintendent of Public Instruction (January 2023 – September 30, 2025) Severity: P2

Bio and Background

Ryan Walters was born in 1988 and grew up in Oklahoma. He served as a public school history teacher and was named the 2021–2022 Oklahoma Teacher of the Year finalist before entering politics. In 2020, Governor Kevin Stitt appointed Walters as Oklahoma’s Secretary of Education. He won the Republican primary and general election for Superintendent of Public Instruction in 2022 and took office in January 2023.

Source: Wikipedia, “Ryan Walters (American politician).” https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ryan_Walters_(American_politician))

Role and Function

As Superintendent of Public Instruction, Walters oversaw the Oklahoma State Department of Education (OSDE), which serves approximately 700,000 public school students across the state. The position is an independently elected statewide office with authority over curriculum standards, teacher licensing, school funding distribution, and education policy implementation.

Documented Actions

Bible Mandate and Taxpayer-Funded Bible Purchases

In June 2024, Walters issued a unilateral mandate requiring all Oklahoma public schools to “incorporate the Bible, which includes the Ten Commandments” into classroom instruction for grades 5–12. He threatened teachers and administrators with job loss for noncompliance.

Source: Americans United for Separation of Church and State, “Oklahoma Bible Mandate violates church-state separation.” https://www.au.org/oklahoma-bible-lawsuit/

In September 2024, the OSDE posted a Request for Proposal to spend $3 million in state funds to purchase 55,000 King James Version Bibles. The RFP specifications reportedly matched a particular Bible edition endorsed by Donald Trump, which included the Constitution, Declaration of Independence, Pledge of Allegiance, and Bill of Rights bound together with the scriptural text.

Source: Enterprise News, “Ryan Walters tried second time to buy Trump Bibles for Oklahoma schools,” March 5, 2025. https://www.enterprisenews.com/story/news/courts/2025/03/05/ryan-walters-oklahoma-bible-mandate-legal-filings-trump-bibles/81498600007/

A coalition of 32 Oklahoma parents, teachers, and clergy filed suit (Walke v. Walters) in the Oklahoma Supreme Court in October 2024, arguing the mandate violated the Oklahoma Constitution’s religious freedom protections and the Oklahoma Administrative Procedures Act. The Oklahoma Senate subsequently blocked the $3 million Bible purchase from the education budget. After Walters resigned, his successor Lindel Fields rescinded the mandate and cancelled the Bible purchase requests, and the Oklahoma Supreme Court dismissed the case as moot in November 2025.

Source: The Oklahoman, “Supreme Court dismisses lawsuit over Ryan Walters’ Bible mandate,” November 24, 2025. https://www.oklahoman.com/story/news/education/2025/11/24/supreme-court-dismisses-lawsuit-over-ryan-walters-bible-mandate/87457956007/

Source: ACLU of Oklahoma, “Clergy, families urge Oklahoma Supreme Court to stop yet another attempt,” 2025. https://www.acluok.org/press-releases/clergy-families-urge-oklahoma-supreme-court-stop-yet-another-attempt-superintendent/

Appointment of Chaya Raichik to Library Advisory Board

In January 2024, Walters appointed Chaya Raichik, creator of the Libs of TikTok social media account, to the Oklahoma State Department of Education’s Library Media Advisory Committee. Raichik is a former Brooklyn real estate agent with no educational background who does not reside in Oklahoma. An NBC News investigation had previously documented at least 33 instances of bomb threats or violent intimidation targeting institutions featured in Libs of TikTok posts, including Oklahoma’s Union Public Schools, which received bomb threats for six consecutive days in August 2023 following a Libs of TikTok post about an elementary school librarian.

Source: USA Today, “Oklahoma superintendent appoints Libs of TikTok creator to state library committee,” January 23, 2024. https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/2024/01/23/chaya-raichik-libs-of-tiktok-oklahoma-public-education/72324642007/

Source: NBC News, “After Libs of TikTok posted, at least 21 bomb threats followed,” February 2024. https://www.nbcnews.com/tech/internet/libs-tiktok-x-chaya-raichik-bomb-threat-twitter-of-libsoftiktok-rcna102784

Taxpayer-Funded PR Spending Scandal

In September 2025, reporting revealed that Walters had spent hundreds of thousands of dollars in state education funds on contracts with out-of-state public relations firms to promote his personal national media profile. This spending continued after Governor Stitt issued an executive order banning such expenditures. An open records request showed Walters spent an additional $100,000 on PR contracts fifteen months after the governor’s ban. These contracts resulted in Walters making over 400 appearances on national news shows during his tenure.

Source: Oklahoma Watch, “Dozens of Lawsuits and Hundreds of TV Appearances: A Look Back at Superintendent Walters Tenure,” October 1, 2025. https://oklahomawatch.org/2025/10/01/dozens-of-lawsuits-and-hundreds-of-tv-appearances-a-look-back-at-superintendent-walters-tenure/

Source: Wikipedia, “Ryan Walters (American politician).”

Resignation

On September 23, 2025, one day after the PR spending scandal was reported, Walters announced on Fox News that he would resign as superintendent. He officially resigned on September 30, 2025, to become CEO of the Teacher Freedom Alliance, an anti-teachers-union organization created by the conservative Freedom Foundation.

Source: HPPR, “Walters resignation affects Oklahoma state schools and 2026 election,” September 30, 2025. https://www.hppr.org/hppr-news/2025-09-30/walters-resignation-affects-oklahoma-state-schools-and-2026-election

Teacher Surveillance System

Walters repurposed the “Awareity” reporting system — originally created in 2022 for school safety and bullying concerns — to encourage anonymous write-ups of teachers, creating what educators described as a surveillance environment. Teacher Summer Boismier had her license revoked after sharing a link to the Brooklyn Public Library’s Books Unbanned project with students, which the state argued violated H.B. 1775 (Oklahoma’s law restricting teaching about “divisive concepts”). Boismier filed a federal lawsuit challenging the revocation.

Source: The Hechinger Report, “Can Oklahoma make public education ‘normal’ again?,” 2026. https://hechingerreport.org/can-oklahoma-make-public-education-normal-again/

Dozens of Lawsuits

Walters’ administration accumulated dozens of lawsuits covering wrongful termination, slander, library book policies, Bible purchases, and academic standards. Few were resolved in his favor. Frequent turnover in the agency’s legal department caused significant delays. One lawsuit, filed by NexStar and KFOR-TV for access to public Board of Education meetings, resulted in a federal court order granting the broadcaster access and a subsequent settlement requiring Walters and his former spokesman to pay $170,000 in attorneys’ fees.

Source: Oklahoma Watch, “Dozens of Lawsuits and Hundreds of TV Appearances,” October 1, 2025.

Source: Broken Arrow Sentinel, “Turbulent times: a look back at Supt. Ryan Walters’ tenure,” September 2025. https://basentinel.com/turbulent-times-a-look-back-at-supt-ryan-walters-tenure/

Controversies

Response to Nex Benedict’s Death

In February 2024, Nex Benedict, a 16-year-old nonbinary student at Owasso High School, died by suicide following a beating and months of bullying by fellow students. Walters’ response generated national calls for his removal from office. Critics cited his anti-LGBTQ+ rhetoric and policies as contributing to hostile school environments for vulnerable students.

Source: Americans United for Separation of Church and State, “Oklahoma Bible Mandate,” 2024.

Source: Wikipedia, “Ryan Walters (American politician).”

Manipulation of State Test Scores

Under Walters, the OSDE changed the grading and standards of state tests, resulting in artificially boosted student proficiency rates without corresponding academic gains.

Source: Oklahoma Watch, “Did Ryan Walters appoint the creator of the Libs of TikTok account…,” September 30, 2025. https://oklahomawatch.org/2025/09/30/did-ryan-walters-appoint-the-creator-of-the-libs-of-tiktok-account-whose-posts-have-led-to-bomb-threats-against-oklahoma-schools-to-a-state-library-advisory-committee/

Conflict with Governor Stitt

Walters accused Governor Stitt — a fellow Republican who had originally appointed him as Secretary of Education — of being part of a “deep state conspiracy” against Donald Trump after Stitt opposed Walters’ proposed mandate to request the citizenship status of children enrolling in public schools. Stitt fired three members of the Oklahoma State Department of Education over poor NAEP test scores and cited “needless political drama.”

Source: Wikipedia, “Ryan Walters (American politician).”

Teachers Compared to Terrorist Organizations

Walters compared teachers and teachers’ unions to terrorist organizations and falsely claimed Tulsa public schools contained “Chinese government agents.”

Source: The Daily Beast, “‘Libs of TikTok’ Creator Chaya Raichik Now Advising Oklahoma School Libraries,” January 2024. https://www.thedailybeast.com/libs-of-tiktok-creator-chaya-raichik-now-advising-oklahoma-school-libraries/

November 2024 Prayer Video

In November 2024, Walters requested that Oklahoma teachers play a video of him praying for then president-elect Donald Trump and against his critics, generating national attention.

Source: Wikipedia, “Ryan Walters (American politician).”

Truth and Reconciliation Considerations

Walters’ tenure illustrates how state-level elected officials can use education policy as a vehicle for Christian nationalist governance, weaponize reporting systems to create teacher surveillance, and divert public education funds for personal political promotion. His appointment of Chaya Raichik — whose social media activity has been linked to bomb threats against Oklahoma schools — to a state library advisory committee demonstrated the intersection of online radicalization and state education policy.

The damage to Oklahoma’s public education system during his tenure — including teacher departures, chilled classroom speech, manipulated test scores, and diverted funds — represents institutional harm that will require years to repair.

Legal Status and Investigations

• Walke v. Walters (Oklahoma Supreme Court): Bible mandate challenge filed October 2024; dismissed as moot November 2025 after mandate rescinded.
• KFOR-TV access lawsuit: Settled; Walters and spokesman ordered to pay $170,000 in attorneys’ fees.
• Multiple pending lawsuits: Dozens of lawsuits covering wrongful termination, slander, and policy challenges remained pending at the time of resignation.
• No criminal charges are known to have been filed against Walters as of the date of this profile.

Key Connections

• Governor Kevin Stitt — Initially an ally who appointed Walters as Secretary of Education; relationship deteriorated over policy disagreements and “needless political drama.”
• Chaya Raichik — Appointed by Walters to the Oklahoma Library Media Advisory Committee (January 2024). See: chaya-raichik-profile.
• Donald Trump — Walters was a vocal Trump supporter; requested teachers play a video of him praying for Trump.
• Teacher Freedom Alliance / Freedom Foundation — Walters became CEO of the anti-teachers-union organization upon resigning.

For Trump Supporters: Questions Worth Considering

• Should state education funds designated for students be spent on a superintendent’s personal PR contracts with out-of-state firms?
• When the state’s own Republican governor opposes education policies as harmful and fires staff for “needless political drama,” is the superintendent serving students or building a personal brand?
• Does mandating a specific version of the Bible in public schools protect religious freedom, or does it create government authority over which religious tradition is taught to children?
• Should a state education official appoint an out-of-state social media influencer with no educational credentials to an advisory committee on school libraries?

Factual correction requests: If you believe information in this profile is incorrect, please contact factcheck@patriot.university with your name (optional), the specific claim, and any supporting documentation. We review all submissions and correct verified errors promptly.

Sources

1. Oklahoma Watch, “Dozens of Lawsuits and Hundreds of TV Appearances: A Look Back at Superintendent Walters Tenure,” October 1, 2025. https://oklahomawatch.org/2025/10/01/dozens-of-lawsuits-and-hundreds-of-tv-appearances-a-look-back-at-superintendent-walters-tenure/
2. Broken Arrow Sentinel, “Turbulent times: a look back at Supt. Ryan Walters’ tenure,” September 2025. https://basentinel.com/turbulent-times-a-look-back-at-supt-ryan-walters-tenure/
3. Wikipedia, “Ryan Walters (American politician).” https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ryan_Walters_(American_politician))
4. HPPR, “Walters resignation affects Oklahoma state schools and 2026 election,” September 30, 2025. https://www.hppr.org/hppr-news/2025-09-30/walters-resignation-affects-oklahoma-state-schools-and-2026-election
5. The Hechinger Report, “Can Oklahoma make public education ‘normal’ again?,” 2026. https://hechingerreport.org/can-oklahoma-make-public-education-normal-again/
6. Americans United for Separation of Church and State, “Oklahoma Bible Mandate violates church-state separation.” https://www.au.org/oklahoma-bible-lawsuit/
7. Enterprise News, “Ryan Walters tried second time to buy Trump Bibles for Oklahoma schools,” March 5, 2025. https://www.enterprisenews.com/story/news/courts/2025/03/05/ryan-walters-oklahoma-bible-mandate-legal-filings-trump-bibles/81498600007/
8. The Oklahoman, “Supreme Court dismisses lawsuit over Ryan Walters’ Bible mandate,” November 24, 2025. https://www.oklahoman.com/story/news/education/2025/11/24/supreme-court-dismisses-lawsuit-over-ryan-walters-bible-mandate/87457956007/
9. ACLU of Oklahoma, “Clergy, families urge Oklahoma Supreme Court to stop yet another attempt,” 2025. https://www.acluok.org/press-releases/clergy-families-urge-oklahoma-supreme-court-stop-yet-another-attempt-superintendent/
10. USA Today, “Oklahoma superintendent appoints Libs of TikTok creator to state library committee,” January 23, 2024. https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/2024/01/23/chaya-raichik-libs-of-tiktok-oklahoma-public-education/72324642007/
11. NBC News, “After Libs of TikTok posted, at least 21 bomb threats followed,” February 2024. https://www.nbcnews.com/tech/internet/libs-tiktok-x-chaya-raichik-bomb-threat-twitter-of-libsoftiktok-rcna102784
12. Oklahoma Watch, “Did Ryan Walters appoint the creator of the Libs of TikTok account…,” September 30, 2025. https://oklahomawatch.org/2025/09/30/did-ryan-walters-appoint-the-creator-of-the-libs-of-tiktok-account-whose-posts-have-led-to-bomb-threats-against-oklahoma-schools-to-a-state-library-advisory-committee/
13. The Daily Beast, “‘Libs of TikTok’ Creator Chaya Raichik Now Advising Oklahoma School Libraries,” January 2024. https://www.thedailybeast.com/libs-of-tiktok-creator-chaya-raichik-now-advising-oklahoma-school-libraries/

Cross-References

• Chaya Raichik — Libs of TikTok Creator — Appointed by Walters to Oklahoma Library Advisory Board