In 2024, Oklahoma Superintendent of Public Instruction Ryan Walters, a habitual opponent of state-church separation, again bagged FFRF Action Fund’s “Theocrat of the Year” title.
Walters’ state-church violations were incessant throughout 2024. In June, Walters sent Oklahoma school districts a “compulsory” mandate to incorporate the bible into their curricula. The mandate wanted to designate the bible, including the Ten Commandments, “as an instructional support” for grades five through 12.
When announcing the mandate, Walters specified that President-elect Trump inspired it through his stacking of the U.S. Supreme Court with a conservative supermajority in his previous term. Walters clearly believes he is legally secure to violate the separation of state and church because the Supreme Court has seemed willing to side with Christian nationalism.
As justification for pushing Christianity into Oklahoma classrooms, Walters routinely claims that the bible and the Ten Commandments “are foundational for Western civilization.” He also argues that the bible “has been under attack from the teachers unions, the radical left, [President] Joe Biden,” and that “the separation of church and state is a myth.”
In October, FFRF Action Fund’s parent organization, FFRF, announced that it has joined a coalition representing 32 plaintiffs in a lawsuit asking the Oklahoma Supreme Court to block Walters’ bible mandate. The lawsuit asserts that the mandate violates the Oklahoma Constitution’s religious freedom protections and overtly favors one religion.
The coalition is also asking the state to stop spending millions of taxpayer funds on bibles. In September, Walters announced his proposal to splurge $6 million in public funds on bibles for Oklahoma schools. Walters claimed that the $6 million would “ensure that the bible hasn’t been driven out of Oklahoma classrooms.” When Walters’ office initially released specifications for the bibles intended for Oklahoma classrooms, only one of nearly 3,000 bibles fit the narrow parameters: the “God Bless the U.S.A” bible, which has been endorsed by Trump and is commonly referred to as the Trump Bible.
Walters’ outrageous proposal was withdrawn after public backlash and promises of legal action, but the agency indicated it intends to reissue a modified proposal. Separate from this proposal, in November, Walters announced that the state purchased 500 bibles for Oklahoma Advanced Placement (AP) government classes. Unsurprisingly, the bibles purchased were the Trump-endorsed bible.
In November, Walters also announced the creation of his Office of Religious Liberty and Patriotism at the Oklahoma State Department of Education, claiming it aligns with Trump’s education priorities. The office will “promote religious liberty and patriotism in Oklahoma” and “oversee the investigation of abuses to individual religious freedom or displays of patriotism.”
Walters claimed that the office was necessary because students were getting in trouble for wearing crosses to school or having bible verses on their desks, which is obviously not happening. Walters argued that the office “is not supposed to be to force or single out any specific religion.” Still, his words and actions clearly indicate that he only wants to benefit Christianity in schools.
When announcing the office’s creation, Walters directed all Oklahoma school districts to show students an absurd video in which he invites them to pray with him. In the video, Walters prays over Trump and his team as they “bring change to the country.” He prays for schools to teach a love for the country and for students to understand what makes America great. He blames the “radical left” and “woke teachers unions” for “attacking” religious liberty.
In response, FFRF joined a coalition in sending a letter to every superintendent in Oklahoma urging them not to show or disseminate Walters’ prayer video. The letter emphasized the constitutional requirement that public schools remain secular and warned that the video violates the First Amendment and the Oklahoma Constitution. It asserted that Walters also lacks the authority to require school districts to play a “mandatory” video for their students.
Lastly, in December, Walters proposed new social standards for Oklahoma public schools that include overt Christian references. The standards mandate vastly increased emphasis on Christian teachings and references to the bible, which Walters boasted is mentioned “over 40 times.” These standards again prove that Walters only wants to install his personal Christian beliefs in Oklahoma’s schools. The standards are open to public comment through Jan. 21 and must be approved by the Legislature before taking effect in schools.
Walters’ accumulation of “theocratic” acts in 2024 undoubtedly earns him this year’s “Theocrat of the Year” designation. With his second “Theocrat of the Year,” Walters has now earned FFRF Action Fund’s “Theocrat” label seven times. Walters will surely continue his attacks on state-church separation in 2025 — and we will certainly continue to tirelessly counter his gross abuses of power and proselytization of Oklahoma’s students.
FFRF Action Fund is a 501(c)(4) organization that develops and advocates for legislation, regulations and government programs to preserve the constitutional principle of separation between state and church. It also advocates for the rights and views of nonbelievers, endorses candidates for political office, and publicizes the views of elected officials concerning religious liberty issues.