Oklahoma Supreme Court blocks Bible purchases for use in public schools

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The Oklahoma Supreme Court temporarily blocked the state’s education department and its superintendent from using public funds to purchase Bibles and related materials for alleged educational purposes.

Key Players

Ryan Walters has served as Oklahoma’s state superintendent of schools since 2023, after winning the 2022 election. He previously served a three-year term as the state’s education secretary after being appointed by Gov. Kevin Stitt (R) in 2020, and was the youngest person to hold that office in Oklahoma history. Since assuming the role of state superintendent, he has restricted books with sexually explicit and LGBTQ+ themes in school libraries, condemned “critical race theory,” and claimed that the separation of church and state was a “myth,” earning him an unofficial designation as the state’s “top culture warrior.”

Rev. Lori Walke is a minister at Mayflower Congregational United Church of Christ, a left-leaning congregation in Oklahoma City. 

Further Details

In June 2024, Walters ordered that public schools include aspects of the Bible in various lesson plans for students in grades five through 12.  

“The Bible is an indispensable historical and cultural touchstone,” Walters stated. “Without basic knowledge of it, Oklahoma students are unable to properly contextualize the foundation of our nation which is why Oklahoma educational standards provide for its instruction.”

Reportedly, Walters’ proposed standards would require first graders to learn about David and Goliath, as well as Moses and the Ten Commandments, asserting that those stories influenced the American colonists. Second graders would be asked to “identify stories from Christianity that influenced the American colonists, Founders, and culture, including the teachings of Jesus the [sic] Nazareth.” 

The order immediately drew criticism from civil rights groups and community members, who argued that it appeared to violate the First Amendment’s provisions on the separation of church and state and the establishment of religion. However, it was unclear whether the standards would be implemented due to an Oklahoma state law allowing school districts the exclusive right to guide curriculum, instructional materials, and other educational resources.

In July 2024, Walters provided a list of guidelines that “must be provided to every teacher,” which also required a physical copy of the King James Bible, the Constitution, the Declaration of Independence, and the Ten Commandments, in each classroom. 

In response, the Sand Springs, Piedmont, Broken Arrow, Collinsville, Owasso, Tulsa, Stillwater, and Jenks public school districts issued statements, letters, and emails to parents, outlining their intentions to adhere to the previously approved curriculum, sidestepping the directive. In September 2024, Joseph Price, a resident of Mayes County, filed his own federal lawsuit against Walters shortly after the guidelines were released. 

Other school districts acted in advance of Walters’ directive, pushing back on grounds related to the First Amendment, cultural sensitivity, and local jurisdiction.

“We’re gonna follow the law, we’re going to provide a great opportunity for our students, we’re going to do right by our students and right by our teachers, and we’re not going to have Bibles in our classrooms,” Nick Migliorino, the superintendent of Norman Public Schools, told the Norman Transcript, a local newspaper. Norman is the home of the University of Oklahoma.

Nevertheless, in October 2024, Walters sought to buy 55,000 Bibles, each containing a copy of the Declaration of Independence and the U.S. Constitution, for use in schools across the state. The Bibles were to cost roughly $3 million in state funds. 

Notably, the $59.99 “God Bless the USA” Bibles endorsed by President Donald Trump were among those that matched the directive’s requirements. 

Faith leaders and education advocates file lawsuit 

On Oct. 17, 2024, some 32 public school teachers, faith leaders, and community members filed a lawsuit in state court to block Walters’ directive.

Supported by civil rights groups such as Americans United for Separation of Church and State, and the state chapter of the American Civil Liberties Union, the lawsuit argued that directing public funds towards religious purchases, favoring one religion over others, and requiring that school districts use Biblical instructional materials were all unconstitutional. 

“I am a faith leader who cares deeply about our country’s promise of religious freedom and ensuring that everyone is able to choose their own spiritual path,” Walke stated. “The state mandating that one particular religious text be taught in our schools violates the religious freedom of parents and children, teachers, and taxpayers. The government has no business weighing in on such theological decisions.”

Walters doubles down

In response, Walters reaffirmed his bid to “bring back the Bible to every classroom in Oklahoma.”

“The simple fact is that understanding how the Bible has impacted our nation, in its proper historical and literary context, was the norm in America until the 1960s and its removal has coincided with a precipitous decline in American schools,” Walters stated. “I will never back down to the woke mob, no matter what tactic they use to try to intimidate Oklahomans.”

Outcome 

Oklahoma Supreme Court blocks Bible purchases using public funds

On March 10, 2025, the Oklahoma Supreme Court temporarily halted “work on any new request by the Oklahoma State Department of Education (OSDE) for the purchase of Bibles.”

“This victory is an important step toward protecting the religious freedom of every student and parent in Oklahoma,” the plaintiffs in the lawsuit stated. “Superintendent Ryan Walters has been abusing his power and the court checked those abuses today. Our diverse coalition of families and clergy remains united against Walters’s extremism and in favor of a core First Amendment principle: the separation of church and state.”

Walters and Oklahoma Democrats face off 

On March 31, Democratic legislators in the Oklahoma Senate and House of Representatives filed resolutions to reject Walters’ directive. They were distressed that the directive included instructions about alleged “discrepancies” in the 2020 presidential election, and that national conservative media personalities and policy advocates were to help develop academic standards for social studies. 

According to some experts, the state’s education department proposed these curriculum changes without making them publicly known, prompting State Rep. Melissa Provenzano (D-Tulsa) to stress the “need to slow down and take time and get this right,” referring to the changes. Others rejected the directive entirely.

Walters accused Democrats of advancing “radical gender ideologies and anti-American agendas,” indicating that he was not “surprised Democrats are relentlessly undermining our children’s education.”

As per the House Speaker’s Office, the House and Senate must come to a consensus on whether to accept Walters’ directive by May 1. The decision could impact the outcome of Walters’ attempts to incorporate the Bible into public schooling amid national scrutiny.

While awaiting a legislative decision, Walters was relying on private donations, instead of taxpayer dollars, to fund the use of Bibles in public schools. 

As of April 21, 2025, there were no further developments.