Office of Religious Liberty and Patriotism Opens at Oklahoma Education Department
State Superintendent Ryan Walters said the office will align with Trump agenda

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OKLAHOMA CITY 鈥 A new office within the Oklahoma State Department of Education will promote expressions of religion and patriotism in public schools.
The head of the agency, state Superintendent Ryan Walters, announced Tuesday he established the Office of Religious Liberty and Patriotism. He said the new division will align with incoming President Donald Trump鈥檚 aim of protecting prayer in schools.
The office will investigate alleged abuses against religious freedom and patriotic displays, according to a news release from the Education Department.
Walters cited a September 2023 incident in which a from a classroom at the urging of the Freedom From Religion Foundation, which contended it was unconstitutional for a public school to allow religious displays. At the time, Walters said the removal was 鈥渦nacceptable.鈥
The that students and public school employees are permitted to pray on school grounds, but school employees cannot lead students in prayer or other religious activities while doing their jobs. The Court in public schools, finding it a violation of the U.S. Constitution鈥檚 prohibition of government-established religion.
Walters said public schools have been 鈥済round zero鈥 for erosion of religious liberty. While calling church-state separation a 鈥渕yth,鈥 he , sought to and advocated for opening a in the state.
鈥淚t is no coincidence that the dismantling of faith and family values in public schools directly correlates with declining academic outcomes in our public schools,鈥 Walters said in a statement Tuesday. 鈥淚n Oklahoma, we are reversing this negative trend and, working with the incoming Trump Administration, we are going to aggressively pursue education policies that will improve academic outcomes and give our children a better future.鈥
A group of 32 parents, students, teachers and faith leaders from Oklahoma to block Walters鈥 Bible education mandate and to stop the use of state funds to buy Bibles. The plaintiffs are represented by multiple national legal groups, including the Freedom From Religion Foundation.
鈥淪uperintendent Ryan Walters cannot be allowed to employ the machinery of the state to indoctrinate Oklahoma鈥檚 students in his religion,鈥 foundation co-president Annie Laurie Gaylor said last month. 鈥淭hankfully, Oklahoma law protects families and taxpayers from his unconstitutional scheme to force public schools to adopt his preferred holy book.鈥
Since the Nov. 5 election, Walters has been paving the way in the state Education Department for major policy changes from the next Trump administration, including the potential closure of the U.S. Department of Education. Trump has proposed eliminating the federal agency and sending education funds in block grants to states.
Among other policy goals, Trump has advocated for more patriotic education and giving parents a greater role in the public school system, including in the hiring and firing of principals.
Walters said Monday he is convening an advisory committee of Oklahoma education leaders and policymakers to implement the Trump education agenda.
The state superintendent similarly has supported pro-America education and patriotic displays. He invited right-wing policy advocates and conservative media personalities, most of whom live out of state, to help .
In August, Walters issued guidelines instructing all districts to develop a policy for displaying the U.S. flag. He did so while criticizing Edmond Public Schools, which had asked a high school student to remove an American flag from his truck.
The Edmond district did so because it had an existing policy prohibiting students from bringing flags of any kind to school. The district displays the American flag in front of every school and in each classroom, it said in a statement.
Walters quickly took aim at Edmond, saying 鈥渘o Oklahoma school should tell students they can鈥檛 wave the American flag.鈥
is part of States Newsroom, a nonprofit news network supported by grants and a coalition of donors as a 501c(3) public charity. Oklahoma Voice maintains editorial independence. Contact Editor Janelle Stecklein for questions: info@oklahomavoice.com. Follow Oklahoma Voice on and .
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