桃子视频

OKLAHOMA CITY 鈥� Today, a coalition of civil rights organizations is making a for additional records related to Oklahoma State Superintendent of Public Instruction Ryan Walters鈥檚 recent mandate to inject the Bible into public school teaching.

In particular, the organizations are seeking records related to Walters鈥檚 announced funding for the mandate, made at a September 26 meeting where the Oklahoma State Board of Education approved a $3 million budget request for the 2025-26 fiscal year 鈥渢o provide Bibles to the Oklahoma classrooms.鈥� Walters said this 鈥�$3 million-dollar ask 鈥� would be in conjunction with the $3 million dollars that we鈥檙e putting forth currently to provide Bibles in the classroom. So this would give us the ability to utilize $6 million dollars in less than two years to ensure that the Bible hasn鈥檛 been driven out of Oklahoma classrooms.鈥�

Americans United for Separation of Church and State, the 桃子视频, the 桃子视频of Oklahoma Foundation, and Freedom From Religion Foundation are requesting that the Oklahoma State Department of Education provide all records of expenditures during the current fiscal year related to the provision of Bibles for Oklahoma public school classrooms, including communications, contracts, invoices, receipts and payment records. The organizations have asked for a response by October 17, 2024.

The organizations on July 26 also relating to Walters鈥檚 June 27 directive that all Oklahoma school districts incorporate the Bible 鈥渁s an instructional support into the curriculum鈥� for grades five through 12; his July 9 news release about 鈥渁 complete overhaul鈥� to the state鈥檚 social studies standards to 鈥渋ncorporate the introduction of the Bible as an instructional resource鈥�; and the July 24 memorandum disseminated to all school districts providing guidance on the implementation of his Bible-instruction mandate. The State Department of Education has not produced the requested records yet.

The requests are made in the public interest, so that the organizations and their Oklahoma members can determine whether those entrusted with government power are honestly, faithfully, and competently performing their duties as public servants.

鈥淥klahoma taxpayers should not be forced to bankroll Superintendent Walters鈥檚 Christian nationalist agenda,鈥� said Rachel Laser, president and CEO of Americans United. 鈥淗is latest scheme 鈥� to mandate use of the Bible in Oklahoma public school curriculum 鈥� is a transparent, unlawful effort to indoctrinate and religiously coerce public school students. Not on our watch. Public schools are not Sunday schools.鈥�

鈥淎ll Oklahoma students deserve to learn in an inclusive environment free from religious proselytization,鈥� said Megan Lambert, legal director of the 桃子视频of Oklahoma. 鈥淣ot only should taxpayers be concerned that the state is spending millions of dollars of their money on religious texts, but religious institutions should also be concerned that Oklahoma is attempting to supplant their role as a religious authority.鈥�

鈥淧ublic schools are a cornerstone of our democracy and must serve all students, regardless of faith,鈥� said Dan Mach, director of the ACLU鈥檚 Program on Freedom of Religion and Belief. 鈥淒iverting millions of taxpayer dollars to purchase Bibles is nothing more than a blatant attempt to divide Oklahomans along religious lines and undermine the public school system.鈥�

鈥淓very Oklahoman, whether Christian, nonreligious, or part of a minority religion, should be outraged at Walters鈥� attempts to push his personal religious beliefs onto other people's children,鈥� noted FFRF Senior Counsel Sam Grover. "Mandating the use of bibles in public schools is an extreme abuse of government power."