NEW AD CAMPAIGN CALLS FOR REMOVAL OF OKLAHOMA SUPERINTENDENT OF PUBLIC INSTRUCTION RYAN WALTERS

GLAAD: “Superintendent Walters, as the state’s lead for public education, has dedicated his time to attacking 2SLGBTQ+ (Two Spirit, Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer+) students and school staff. Walters even produced a video last year baselessly accusing trans students of being threats at school. The reality is, Walters is the threat–to trans students, and to all students in Oklahoma. His record is reprehensible, and he must be ousted immediately.”

Freedom Oklahoma: “…safety for 2SLGBTQ+ students to learn is impossible so long as Ryan Walters remains in power. As a former history teacher, Ryan Walters should know that 2SLGBTQ+ folks have always been and will always be in Oklahoma. The safety to learn, to thrive, is the very least we deserve.”

(New York, NY – March 12, 2024) GLAAD, the world’s largest lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ) media advocacy organization, is announcing the launch of an ad calling out the ways in which Ryan Walters, Oklahoma Superintendent of Public Instruction, is unfit for office, and encourages viewers to call their state representatives to advocate for Walters’ removal.

The 30-second spot, which will run in Oklahoma starting today, is supported by a five-figure buy. Released just a month after the tragic death of Nex Benedict, the ad highlights a number of actions from Walters that call into question his ability to properly lead Oklahoma’s students. The ad asks viewers to ask their representatives to remove Walters from office.

View and embed ad here: https://youtu.be/4-AV7Zp_HsU

Statement from Freedom Oklahoma Executive Director Nicole McAfee (They/She):
“It has been more than a month since Nex Benedict, a 16 year-old Indigenous, 2STGNC+ (Two Spirit, transgender, gender nonconforming+) student died. And not only has our State Superintendent Ryan Walters not taken any action to make our schools safe for students like Nex Benedict, he has continued his anti-2SLGBTQ+ rhetoric on public platforms. Access to the safety to thrive in school has never been too much to ask. Our schools should be a safe place for every student to have their dignity and autonomy respected, a safe place for them to learn. Nex Benedict deserved that safety, but instead they experienced a year of being bullied by fellow students, as bullying that targeted their identity was also pushed in policy and rhetoric from the head of Oklahoma’s State Department of Education. That safety for 2SLGBTQ+ students to learn is impossible so long as Ryan Walters remains in power. As a former history teacher, Ryan Walters should know that 2SLGBTQ+ folks have always been and will always be in Oklahoma. The safety to learn, to thrive, is the very least we deserve.”

Statement from GLAAD President and CEO Sarah Kate Ellis (She/Her):
“The tragic death of Nex Benedict, an Oklahoma 2STGNC+ (Two Spirit, Transgender, Gender Non-Conforming+) high school student of Choctaw ancestry, shone a bright spotlight on the many failures of the Oklahoma public school system. Nex reported experiencing school bullying for over a year, and explained the hopelessness bullied Owasso students feel, saying there was no point in reporting the bullying to school administrators. Superintendent Walters, as the state’s lead for public education, has dedicated his time to attacking 2SLGBTQ+ (Two Spirit, Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer+) students and school staff. Walters even produced a video last year baselessly accusing trans students of being threats at school. The reality is, Walters is the threat–to trans students, and to all students in Oklahoma. His record is reprehensible, and he must be ousted immediately.”

Walters began his term as Superintendent in January 2023, and his term is up January 2027. The Oklahoma House of Representatives has the power to begin the impeachment process, as laid out in the Oklahoma Constitution. GLAAD is tracking Walters’ record on LGBTQ people and issues, see below and here.

Ryan Walters’ record on LGBTQ people and issues:

—Told ABC News, “we’re not going to lie to students. And we’re not going to push a gender ideology.” Walters’ repeated false claims about “gender ideology” and “only two genders” conflict with the history of Two Spirit people in his own state, who have long recognized and honored multiple genders. Walters’ comments also crucially fail to acknowledge Nex Benedict’s Choctaw heritage and the impact of Walters’ rhetoric and policies on Two Spirit, transgender, and gender non-conforming (2STGNC+) students like Nex.

—Led the Oklahoma State Board of Education in approving a permanent rule change that prohibits school districts and local schools from altering sex or gender designations in student records without the board’s authorization and regardless of the will of the student or the consent of the student’s guardians. A lawsuit is pending in federal court.

—Pinned to his Twitter/X profile is a promo for his interview with the president of The Heritage Foundation, a longstanding anti-LGBTQ national organization that continues to advocate against marriage equality and acceptance of transgender people, and has promised continued targeting of LGBTQ Americans and youth in public education.

—Says Edmond Public Schools is fighting to keep “pornography” in the classroom. In fact, Edmond’s Superintendent asked the Oklahoma Supreme Court to intervene in an attempt by the Oklahoma Department of Education to ban two books from school library shelves: acclaimed novels The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini and The Glass Castle by Jeannette Walls. The Department of Education’s Library Media Review Committee, to which Libs of TikTok founder Chaya Raichik was appointed as a member by Ryan Walters in January 2024 despite lack of credentials as an educator or librarian and who does not live in Oklahoma, decided both books are “pornographic.”

—Appointed Chaya Raichik, the founder of anti-LGBTQ social media account Libs of TikTok, to a Library Media Advisory Committee at the Oklahoma State Department of Education. The Libs of TikTok account posts disinformation about LGBTQ people and allies, and the posts have reportedly preceded dozens of bomb threats to schools in Oklahoma as well as libraries and children’s hospitals nationwide. Walters has expressed support for Raichik, describing her “tremendous platform that will benefit Oklahoma students and their families.” Apart from Raichik, the volunteer committee is made up of parents, current or retired librarians, and English literature teachers, according to the state Education Department. Raichick, a former real estate agent, is not an educator, is not an Oklahoma resident, and does not have children in any Oklahoma schools.

—Sent a memo to textbook publishers saying he will reject any books if they contain definitions or terms contrary to Gov. Kevin Stitt’s executive order “Women’s Bill of Rights.” The narrow definitions in the governor’s order exclude transgender, nonbinary, or intersex people. Without basis Walters said, “Radical gender ideology has no place in our classrooms… The radical left’s attempt to diminish women will not work in Oklahoma.”

—Appeared in a State Board of Education-released video, opposing teachers’ unions and describing transgender students as a threat in schools: “We have injected radical gender theory into telling kids that they might be other genders. It’s dangerous.”

—Advocates for book bans and spreads disinformation about LGBTQ-inclusive books, falsely describing them as “pornographic” and that they “push transgenderism,” a term frequently weaponized to diminish or eliminate transgender identity and the existence of transgender people throughout history. Additional book ban-related activities here.

—Investigated the Western Heights Public Schools’ accreditation status over the hiring of an accredited school principal who performs in drag outside school hours, which is not illegal. Walters objected to and highlighted the principal’s moonlighting in drag, and without basis called for a regulation that would allow educators to be fired for “acts that excessively promote sexuality” outside of work. The principal was asked to resign after the school received bomb threats.

—Following his posts on X that criticized one of the district’s librarians, Union Public Schools, on the edge of Tulsa, reported that it has received bomb threats on six consecutive school days. Walters’s post was a re-share from Libs of TikTok that altered the original caption.

—Repeated the debunked lie about “litter boxes” in schools.

—Tweeted a black-and-white image of a female high school student washing her hands in a bathroom, while two other girls watch her suspiciously in the mirror. The image included the words “Student Safety Over Liberal Agenda.” In the tweet itself, Walters wrote: “I will always fight for students.” Research shows transgender students face a higher risk of sexual assault in locker rooms and bathrooms that don’t match their gender identity, are more likely to miss school than other students, and are more likely to report feeling unsafe at school and being bullied.

—Had Oklahoma taxpayers fund travel expenses for speaking engagements and media appearances with anti-LGBTQ groups Moms for Liberty and Heritage Foundation, as well as a premiere for an anti-abortion horror movie. According to The Frontier, which reported it obtained the reimbursement forms, Walters expensed the trips despite an order from the Governor’s office banning public spending for most out-of-state travel. Walters was reimbursed by the state for travel expenses to the Dallas movie premiere,  for a trip to National Harbor, Maryland, to speak at a conference sponsored by The Heritage Foundation; for a speaking appearance at the anti-LGBTQ book banning group Moms for Liberty summit in Philadelphia; for an appearance as the keynote speaker at the anti-union Freedom Foundation’s Teachers for Freedom Summit; for meetings with bookers from Fox News in Washington, DC; and for Washington, D.C., meetings and media appearances on right-wing talk shows affiliated with the conspiracy-laden Epoch Times and The Heritage Foundation.

Ad script:

Ryan Walters is supposed to be leading Oklahoma public schools.
But what has he been doing?
Banning children from the bathroom.
Banning books.
Spreading fear and disinformation.
Stripping student and parents’ rights.
Harassing and denigrating teachers.
Using taxpayer dollars to fund his personal appearances.
Ryan Walters is in it for himself and for radical national extremists – not for Oklahoma’s children or families.
Tell your representatives: remove Ryan Walters as Superintendent.

News utilized in ad:

The Norman Transcript (Norman, Oklahoma)
Book, bathroom controversy highlighted in superintendent debate
https://www.normantranscript.com/news/book-bathroom-controversy-highlighted-in-superintendent-debate/article_13ac7dc4-54d3-11ed-bb4d-a33686b50bbb.html

Rolling Stone
Oklahoma Schools Are Fighting Back Against Porn-Obsessed Superintendent
https://www.rollingstone.com/politics/politics-news/ryan-walters-pornography-book-ban-challenged-oklahoma-schools-1234972816/

Tulsa World
Oklahoma Department of Education video paints transgender students as threat to school safety
https://tulsaworld.com/news/local/education/oklahoma-department-of-education-video-paints-transgender-students-as-threat-to-school-safety/article_14c16b4a-1763-11ee-8703-b7942e856e32.html

FOX 25 (Oklahoma City)
State Superintendent backs restriction on altering student sex designation records
https://okcfox.com/news/local/state-superintendent-backs-restriction-on-altering-student-sex-designation-records-oklahoma-board-of-education-ryan-walters-pronouns-democrats-republicans-school-subjects-okc

Wall Street Journal
He Taught AP History. Now He Targets Teachers for Being Too Woke.
https://www.wsj.com/us-news/education/he-taught-ap-history-now-he-targets-teachers-for-being-too-woke-9001d053

KFOR (Oklahoma City)
Supt. Walters travels for movie premiere, media appearances, more – Oklahoma foots the bill
https://kfor.com/news/local/supt-walters-travels-for-movie-premiere-media-appearances-more-oklahoma-foots-the-bill/

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About Freedom Oklahoma: Freedom Oklahoma is the state’s only dedicated 2SLGBTQ+ advocacy organization, and works each day to build a future where all 2SLGBTQ+ people have the safety to thrive. You can learn more about Freedom Oklahoma at https://www.freedomoklahoma.org/.