FFRF gets involved in Oklahoma bible case
The Freedom From Religion Foundation and several other groups are representing the plaintiffs who are trying to block Oklahoma Superintendent of Public Instruction Ryan Walters’ latest scheme to distribute bibles to schools.
The lawsuit, Rev. Lori Walke v. Ryan Walters, is before the Oklahoma Supreme Court.
The plaintiffs asked the court to halt Walters’ attempt to spend millions of taxpayer dollars to buy bibles, as well as a plan by Walters to buy bible-based instructional materials. After additional pushback from the Legislature, Walters dropped the bible-purchase plan. Then, earlier this week, the Oklahoma Supreme Court temporarily blocked any other attempts to buy bibles and the plan to buy bible-based instructional materials.
But the same day that he dropped his plan to buy bibles, Walters announced a Bibles Back in School Campaign, which is yet another plan to distribute bibles to Oklahoma public schools. Walters has partnered with entertainer Lee Greenwood to ask people to buy through a special website Greenwood and Donald Trump’s “God Bless the USA Bibles” for $71.50 per bible. The bibles — widely panned for advancing Christian nationalism — are then automatically donated to the Oklahoma Department of Education, which Walters runs, and then distributed to public schools. The website tells people to give money for the bibles because “GOD, CHRISTIANITY AND MORAL VALUES ARE OF THE UTMOST IMPORTANCE.”
In the filing, the plaintiffs ask the court to stop Walters’ latest scheme — again. Specifically, plaintiffs are asking the court to issue an order prohibiting Walters and other state officials from taking any action to implement the Bibles Back in School Campaign and from otherwise distributing bibles to public schools.
The plaintiffs are represented by the Freedom From Religion Foundation, Americans United for Separation of Church and State, the American Civil Liberties Union, the ACLU of Oklahoma Foundation and the Oklahoma Appleseed Center for Law & Justice. The organizations offered the following statements:
Annie Laurie Gaylor, co-president of the Freedom From Religion Foundation: “Oklahoma families should not have to contend with religious promotion in their children’s public school classrooms. And Oklahomans should not have to watch their tax dollars be used by their state to promote Ryan Walters’ preferred holy book.”
Rachel Laser, president and CEO of Americans United: “Another week, another attempt by Ryan Walters to abuse his power and impose his personal religious beliefs on other people’s children. When will the superintendent learn? Parents, judges, legislators, clergy, students and families aren’t interested in public schools peddling Christian nationalism.”
Daniel Mach, director of the ACLU Program on Freedom of Religion and Belief: “Yet again, Walters is trying to use his preferred scripture to divide public-school students and their families along religious lines. But government officials should not be playing favorites with faith, and Oklahomans deserve better.”
Megan Lambert, legal director of ACLU of Oklahoma: “The First Amendment promises that we all get to decide for ourselves what religious beliefs, if any, to hold and practice, without pressure from the government. Politicians have no business imposing their preferred religious doctrine on students and families in public schools. All students should feel safe and welcome, regardless of faith, but the Oklahoma Department of Education continues to undermine this critical goal. Oklahoma communities are religiously diverse, and we will not allow our religious freedom to be undermined.”
Colleen McCarty, Esquire, executive director of Oklahoma Appleseed Center for Law and Justice: “The costs of these outlandish actions by our state superintendent continue to climb and he shows no signs of slowing. We’re facing a budget shortfall and Oklahomans simply cannot afford these stunts for much longer. Oklahomans need a leader who will maintain the rule of law and educate our kids.”
Case background:
Walters issued a June 27, 2024, mandate unilaterally requiring every public school in Oklahoma to “incorporate the Bible, which includes the Ten Commandments,” into their curricula, an abuse of power that ignored state laws. Walters then fast-tracked plans to spend $3 million of taxpayer money on 55,000 King James Bibles. Walters said he wanted to spend another $3 million on bibles next year.
The lawsuit Walke v. Walters was filed Oct. 17, 2024, on behalf of 32 Oklahomans of diverse faiths who object to Walters’ extremist agenda that imposes his personal religious beliefs on other people’s children. The lawsuit asserts that Walters’ plans to distribute bibles to public schools violate the Oklahoma Constitution’s religious freedom protections because the government would be using state-funded resources to support religion, as well as favoring one religion over others by requiring the use of a Protestant version of the bible.
The attorneys on the team representing the plaintiffs include FFRF attorneys Patrick Elliott and Samuel Grover.
