Oklahoma superintendent orders public schools to teach the Bible

Oklahoma's top education official ordered public schools Thursday to incorporate the Bible into lessons for grades 5 through 12, the latest effort by conservatives to incorporate religion into classrooms.

The directive sent Thursday to superintendents across the state by Republican State Superintendent Ryan Walters says adherence to the mandate is compulsory and "immediate and strict compliance is expected."

"The Bible is a necessary historical document to teach our kids about this country," Walters said in a video posted on his official X account. He said multiple figures used the Bible as the basis for foundational documents and movements in the country. "Every teacher, every classroom in the state will have a Bible in the classroom, and will be teaching from the Bible," he said.

The directive is the latest effort by conservative-led states to target public schools: Louisiana required them to post the Ten Commandments in classrooms, and the directive requires a poster-sized display of the Ten Commandments in "large, easily readable font" in all public classrooms, from kindergarten to state-funded universities. Civil liberty groups filed a lawsuit days after the directive, saying the law was a violation of the separation of church and state, and that the display would isolate students, especially those who are not Christian.

Other schools are under pressure to teach the Bible and ban books and lessons about race, sexual orientation and gender identity. Earlier this week the Oklahoma Supreme Court blocked an attempt by the state to have the first publicly funded religious charter school in the country.

A former public school teacher who was elected to his post in 2022, Walters ran on a platform of fighting "woke ideology," banning books from school libraries and getting rid of "radical leftists" who he claims are indoctrinating children in classrooms.

He has clashed with leaders in both parties for his focus on culture-war issues, including transgender rights and banning books, and in January he faced criticism for appointing a right-wing social media influencer from New York to a state library committee.

Walters' directive immediately came under fire from civil rights groups and supporters of the separation of church and state.

"Public schools are not Sunday schools," said Rachel Laser, president and CEO of Americans United for Separation of Church and State, in a statement. "This is textbook Christian Nationalism: Walters is abusing the power of his public office to impose his religious beliefs on everyone else's children. Not on our watch."

The Oklahoma Education Association said in a statement that teaching about religion and the Bible in a historical context is permissible, but "teaching religious doctrine is not permissible."

"Public schools cannot indoctrinate students with a particular religious belief or religious curriculum. The State Superintendent cannot usurp local control and compel education professionals to violate the Constitution," the nonprofit educational organization said. 

In:
• Religion
• Oklahoma
• Louisiana