The Oklahoma Supreme Court ruled that former state education head Ryan Walters attempt to force Christian Nationalist propaganda into public school social studies curriculum violated the states Open Meeting Act. Walters, who quit before the end of his term to work for a right-wing group that opposes woke teachers unions, called the courts decision an incredibly aggressive attack on Christianity, the bible, [and] on President Trump. Related An insult: Trump illegally renames Kennedy Center after himself In June 2024, Walters and the Oklahoma State Board of Education (OSBE) issued a guidance saying that K-12 lessons should focus on the Bibles influence on history, literature, music, and other arts and culture. Walters guidance mandated that every classroom contain a physical copy of the Bible, as well as copies of the Ten Commandments, the U.S. Constitution, and the Declaration of Independence.Walters had also required that future social studies texts include statements that inaccurately proclaim the Bibles and Christianitys influence on the countrys founding, disproven conspiracy theories about the legitimacy of the 2020 election, and a theory that the COVID-19 pandemic originated in a Chinese laboratory. The new textbooks would cost state taxpayers $33 million.However, while the OSBE and its new head of education Lindel Fields announced in October the states plans to drop these changes, the 33 Oklahoma parents, children, public school teachers, and faith leaders who filed a lawsuit against the changes asked the state Supreme Court to rule on whether Walters violated state rule-making laws. The laws require the OSBE to provide proper public notice before voting on implementing any new curriculum standards. Never Miss a Beat Subscribe to our newsletter to stay ahead of the latest LGBTQ+ political news and insights. Subscribe to our Newsletter today The court found that Walters didnt provide proper notice to OSBE members or the public about his changes, and that the curriculum standards ultimately submitted by Walters and OSBE were substantially different from the version released publicly, KOKH-TV reported.As such, court invalidated Walters new standards and reinstated the 2019 version of the standards which existed before Walters changes.In separate statements, Americans United and the Oklahoma Appleseed Center for Law and Justice, which represented the plaintiffs, celebrated the ruling. Todays decision will ensure that Oklahoma families not politicians get to decide how and when their children engage with religion, said Rachel Laser, president and CEO of Americans United. These new social studies standards violated students and families religious freedom by promoting one version of Christianity and advancing Christian Nationalist disinformation. Not on our watch. Public schools are not Sunday schools.In response to the ruling, Walters said, Today the [Oklahoma] Supreme Court launched an incredibly aggressive attack on Christianity, the bible, on President Trump. The Oklahoma Supreme Court, striking down the history standards that so many Oklahomans demanded.Its unclear which Oklahomans demanded the new standards seeing as he refused to publicly release them as required by law.They struck down the history standards, spitting in the face of so many Oklahomans and frankly, common sense. This is outrageous to see this kind of left-wing judicial activism in the state where every county voted for President Trump, Walters continued. These justices should be ashamed of themselves. They should resign immediately. Former OK schools chief Ryan Walters is melting down after the OK Supreme Court struck down the history curriculum he mandated, which included Bible study and materials arguing that the 2020 election was stolen. pic.twitter.com/iRRyujjQce Ron Filipkowski (@RonFilipkowski) December 18, 2025 Walters had a notoriously scandal-ridden tenureOklahoma Gov. Kevin Stitt (R) replaced Waters with retired school superintendent Lindel Fields. Soon after, the OSDE reversed one of Walters first actions by restoring the OSDEs Hall of Fame, which honors the states past award recipients for Teacher of the Year. The OSDE also quickly revamped its website, removing numerous links that promoted Christian Nationalist misinformation, includingWalters unconstitutional orderfor schools to display The Ten Commandments.Additionally, State Attorney General Gentner Drummond has ordered the Oklahoma State Auditor and Inspectors Office toinvestigate the Education Departments finances over the entirety of Walters tenure in charge. Drummond said, [Walters had a] well-established history of mishandling tax dollars.During his tenure, Walters withheld$150 million in public school fundsto ostensibly make security enhancementsagainst school shootings, in defiance of legislation directing the funds to poorer rural schools. Waltershid information about his offices travel budgetandrefused to spend moneythat he was legally obligated to spend onasthma inhalers for students,The Friendly Atheistadded. Walters sought toban LGBTQ+ books but teach the Bible in public school history classes, andpushed the transphobic lie about schools providing litterboxes to studentswho identify as cats. He alsoreferred to teachers unions as terrorist organizationsandillegally tried to make rulesbanning LGBTQ+ books and transgender bathroom access in schools.He has appeared at events hosted by Moms for Liberty, a right-wing anti-LGBTQ+ parents rights group that has been calledan extremist hate groupby the Southern Poverty Law Center. He also appointed Chaya Raichik, an anti-LGBTQ+ activist who goes by Libs of TikTok online,as a Library Media Advisor for the state(even though she has no educational experience, doesnt reside in Oklahoma, and has made posts that have led to bomb threats against students).He also unveiled an ideological purity test to seek and remove woke teachers. (The test wascriticized as performative bulls**tand as an advertisement masquerading as an assessment.) The day before his resignation, he pledged toforce all schools statewideto host student groups for Turning Point USA, the young conservatives group started byrecently murderedanti-LGBTQ+ MAGA influencer Charlie Kirk.Oklahomaranks among the worst statesfor education and isfacing a teacher shortage.Subscribe to theLGBTQ Nation newsletterand be the first to know about the latest headlines shaping LGBTQ+ communities worldwide.