GOP lawmakers in Oklahoma are calling for an investigation of the state鈥檚 Republican schools superintendent, Ryan Walters, over concerns about his stewardship of the department鈥檚 budget, spending priorities, and transparency.
The letter, circulated on Tuesday, Aug. 13, by Republican state Rep. Mark McBride, who chairs the chamber鈥檚 education committee, alleges that Walters has refused or delayed answering inquiries from lawmakers, denied legislators entry to executive sessions of the state Board of Education, and is failing to perform the duties of his office, including complying with the General Assembly鈥檚 budgetary direction.
The request will not advance unless 51 Republican lawmakers sign on to the letter, according to the speaker鈥檚 office. It now has 25, McBride said in a phone interview. Should it clear the threshold, the request could ultimately tee up possible impeachment proceedings, though McBride cautioned it likely wouldn鈥檛 come to that.
Walters, a firebrand who has gained national attention for his handling of LGBTQ+ student rights, position on teaching racism, and recent mandate for Oklahoma schools to teach about the Bible, has been active in former President Donald Trump鈥檚 2024 reelection effort and has said he .
The recent Republican inquiries come after a longstanding call for Walters鈥� impeachment from Democrats who disagree with his policy priorities and use of taxpayer dollars.
McBride and other lawmakers are requesting that the legislature convene a special committee to investigate the education department鈥檚 鈥渋nternal and external failures鈥� following the law, and make recommendations to the legislature regarding reform. The committee would also be charged with investigating 鈥渁ny possible willful neglect of duty or incompetence,鈥� which are impeachable offenses under the state鈥檚 constitution.
The speaker of the House, Republican Charles McCall, declined to move forward unless more Republicans signed onto the letter.
鈥淚 take elections very seriously, and anyone who was duly elected by the people of this state should not be removed from that office, given to them by the people, unless absolutely required by the constitution,鈥� McCall wrote in a letter to members.
Walters has pushed to end 鈥榠ndoctrination鈥� in education and required schools to teach about the Bible
Walters was elected to serve as the superintendent of public instruction in 2022 and previously served as the state secretary of education鈥攁n appointed position in Republican Gov. Kevin Stitt鈥檚 Cabinet. He has helped set the national agenda for Republican priorities in education, and has been critical of LGBTQ+ students鈥� rights in schools and teaching about racism. He recently directed districts in the state to teach the Bible in school and championed the first religious charter school in Oklahoma.
A spokesman for the state department of education, which Walters oversees, called the request for an investigation the 鈥渄ying gasps of teachers鈥� union control over Oklahoma schools.鈥�
鈥淭hey鈥檙e desperate and will do and say anything to hang on to power,鈥� the statement continued. 鈥淛ust as they have against President Trump, liberal Republicans have joined the far-left Democrats to try to thwart the will of Oklahoma voters who want to empower parents and get our schools back to basics and back on track. Superintendent Walters will never back down and will always fight for Oklahoma parents and our students.鈥�
McBride, who described himself as an outspoken critic of Walters, said he doesn鈥檛 necessarily dislike Walters and doesn鈥檛 totally disagree with some policies, but finds it troubling how the department is being run鈥攊ncluding where money is being spent.
The letter alleges that Walters failed to turn over complete information about travel expenses using state dollars. McBride said he has heard from constituents and school leaders with concerns about funding, which includes delays in issuing or projecting the sum of federal dollars, and state budget funds earmarked for school security and asthma inhalers.
District leaders have reached out to McBride over when Title I funding, which supports schools with high numbers of students from low-income families, will be dispersed and how much is projected to go to districts, McBride said.
Those funds are also implicated filed against Walters Aug. 15. Walters called Bixby Public Schools Superintendent Robert Miller 鈥渁 clown and a liar鈥� at a July 31 press conference for saying that projections for Title I funds had not be provided, which the lawsuit says has impeded hiring.
Other concerns include delays in responding to inquiries by the House and Senate鈥檚 education committees, resulting in two subpoenas, according to the letter, and a failure to respond to open-records requests in a timely manner.
鈥淎s a legislature, our job is to provide a free public education for every kid in the state of Oklahoma, and it鈥檚 got to be run right. I mean, it鈥檚 the largest appropriated agency in the state: $4 billion,鈥� McBride said. 鈥淵ou can鈥檛 run a business that makes $100,000 a year like this, let alone one that鈥檚 $4 billion.鈥�
The letter called Walters 鈥渦nprofessional, beneath the dignity of a statewide elected official.鈥�
McBride also criticized how students were faring educationally.
鈥淚t鈥檚 just my job as the educational appropriations chair to watch what鈥檚 going on, and we鈥檙e more interested in putting Bibles in a classroom than we are teaching 3rd and 4th graders how to read,鈥� McBride said. 鈥淵ou鈥檙e going to put a Bible in a 3rd, 4th grade classroom, and they can鈥檛 read it. What鈥檚 the use of putting it in the classroom?鈥�
