Oklahoma Mandates Immediate Bible Teaching in Schools: ‘Strict Compliance Expected’
Oklahoma’s chief school official, Republican State Superintendent Ryan Walters, has issued a directive mandating that all state schools incorporate the Bible into their curriculum for grades 5 through 12. This move has sparked immediate outrage and threats of lawsuits, particularly in a state recently reprimanded for attempting to use taxpayer dollars to create a Catholic school.
“Effective immediately, all Oklahoma schools are required to incorporate the Bible, which includes the Ten Commandments, as an instructional support into the curriculum,” Walters stated in a notice. He emphasized that the Bible is one of the most historically significant books and a cornerstone of Western civilization.
In a press conference, Walters declared that every school would have a Bible in the classroom and that every teacher would be teaching from it. The Bible will be referenced in studies of history, civilization, ethics, comparative religion, and for its influence on the nation’s founders and the foundational principles of the U.S. Constitution. Walters stressed that adherence to this mandate is compulsory, with immediate and strict compliance expected.
“Oklahoma kids will learn that the Bible and the Ten Commandments are foundational for Western civilization,” Walters wrote on social media. “The left is upset, but one cannot rewrite history.”
This directive comes just two days after the Oklahoma Supreme Court rejected what was set to become the first-ever publicly funded religious charter school. Last year, a state school board approved the creation of a taxpayer-supported online Catholic school, triggering a high-profile legal battle over whether public funds can be used to create religious schools. The Oklahoma Supreme Court ruled it an unconstitutional infringement of the First Amendment’s protections against government endorsement of religion.
Americans United for Separation of Church and State, which sued the state to block the school’s contract, has threatened to sue again over the Bible requirement. “Public schools are not Sunday schools,” said Rachel Laser, the group’s CEO. She accused Walters of being incapable of distinguishing between public education and religious indoctrination, calling the mandate a transparent, unconstitutional effort to coerce public school students religiously.
The directive has drawn immediate condemnation from civil rights groups and supporters of the separation of church and state. Critics argue that Walters is abusing his power to impose his religious beliefs on public school students, labeling the move as “textbook Christian nationalism.”
Walters, a former public school teacher elected in 2022, ran on a platform of fighting “woke ideology,” banning books from school libraries, and removing “radical leftists” from classrooms. He has clashed with leaders in both parties over his focus on culture-war issues, including transgender rights and book bans. In January, he faced criticism for appointing a right-wing social media influencer from New York to a state library committee.
The Oklahoma chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations criticized the directive as a clear violation of the Constitution’s Establishment Clause, which prohibits the government from establishing a religion. “We adamantly oppose any requirements that religion be forcefully taught or required as a part of lesson plans in public schools,” said Adam Soltani, the group’s executive director.
Oklahoma law already allows Bibles in the classroom and lets teachers use them in instruction, according to the state attorney general’s office. However, it remains unclear if Walters has the authority to mandate that schools teach the Bible. State law grants individual school districts the exclusive authority to decide on instruction, curriculum, reading lists, instructional materials, and textbooks.
Rep. Mickey Dollens, D-Oklahoma City, a frequent critic of Walters, suggested that the superintendent should focus on improving Oklahoma’s low ranking in national education lists rather than evangelizing students. “Requiring a Bible in every classroom does not improve Oklahoma’s ranking as 49th in education,” Dollens said.
Two Democrats on the House Education Committee, Rep. Melissa Provenzano and Rep. John Waldron, advised school districts to carefully review and follow existing state law regarding religious instruction in schools. They emphasized that religious instruction should remain in the hands of parents and guardians.
Rachel Laser of Americans United for Separation of Church and State reiterated that public schools are not Sunday schools and accused Walters of being unfit for office. “His latest scheme — to mandate use of the Bible in Oklahoma public schools’ curriculum — is a transparent, unconstitutional effort to indoctrinate and religiously coerce public school students,” she said.
The Oklahoma Education Association, a teachers’ union, noted a recent ruling by the Oklahoma Supreme Court that asserted local control over school libraries, nullifying two administrative rules passed by the state board in 2023. “A memo from the State Department of Education does not change that ruling,” the statement said. “Teaching about the historical context of religion (and the Bible) is permissible; however, teaching religious doctrine is not permissible. Public schools cannot indoctrinate students with a particular religious belief or religious curriculum.”
As the debate continues, it remains to be seen how Oklahoma schools will navigate this controversial directive and the potential legal battles that may ensue.
Source: The Independent, The Associated Press
