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Yahoo
29-05-2025
- General
- Yahoo
OK judge needs more time to make decision on controversial social studies standards
OKLAHOMA CITY (KFOR) — An Oklahoma County District judge said Wednesday he would need more time to consider arguments for and against a case that could see controversial social studies curriculum blocked from Oklahoma schools. Last month, News 4 reported former Oklahoma Attorney General Mike Hunter had joined the legal team representing a group of parents and teachers in a petition filed against the Oklahoma State Department of Education and the State Board of Education to stop the standards. The standards were approved by the State Board of Education in February, and lawmakers could have sent them back for additional review, but decided not to do so. They include biblical teachings and ask students to examine discrepancies in the 2020 election. The case is tied to the process in which the standards were approved and how they could impact Oklahomans. Public school parent-led group provides social studies curriculum opt-out form On Wednesday, Hunter's legal team opened arguments asking for an injunction or temporary restraining order in front of Judge Brent Dishman. Current Putnam City Public Schools educator, plaintiff, and former standards writing committee volunteer, James Welch, PhD, was called to the stand to testify. During his testimony, Welch said that he was brought on as the sole person writing psychology and sociology standards last year. Welch said last fall, he and 25 other teachers met in a University of Central Oklahoma conference room to review the standards. Welch said State Superintendent Ryan Walters attended and expressed to Welch and other attendees that he believed the committee members would do a good job. Welch said he was provided a set of standards from another state and was told attendees should model their standards based on them. He said he was concerned by blatant religious texts and pro-free enterprise standards, calling them 'extreme.' He also said that other attendees he spoke with were 'alarmed' as well. Welch noted that when he reviewed a draft copy of the standards in December, he noted that all mentions of the word 'diversity' in his subject areas had been stricken. He said he found that problematic, and that the material pertained to subjects that were vital for an understanding in government. He said seeing the changes created a 'crisis of conscience' for him and that he feared he would be reported, disciplined, or fired if he taught the areas omitted instead of what he described as a 'radical right wing viewpoint.' Oklahoma State Board of Education attorney, Chad Kutmas, pressed Welch about his experience, of which Welch admitted he had never been a part of standards writing processes prior to his volunteer commitment. Oklahoma State Department of Education attorney, Michael Beason, pressed Welch about copies of standards handed out at the fall meeting Welch was not supposed to take with him outside of the meeting. Welch admitted to doing so, but when pressed about whether he shared them with media outlets, Welch said he did not. Beason argued that Welch was disgruntled because he didn't agree with the standards contents. Hunter's legal team argued the process to approve the standard was inconsistent and that there were amendments made 'that nobody had ever seen.' He said the children across Oklahoma and their parents need to have confidence standards were implemented lawfully. Hunter argued the standards didn't come to the legislature lawfully, saying they were 'shoehorned' in and weren't properly deliberated. 'There has to be a recourse by citizens when there's a process like this that is so flawed,' said Hunter. News 4 has covered reports in which new board members appointed by Governor Kevin Stitt in February say they were not given enough time to review the standards, following the draft of the standards in December, and a 30-day window of public comment. News 4 shared in March that public comments obtained surrounding the altered standards were mostly negative, with only one comment supporting religious texts in schools. Despite that, attorneys for the board and OSDE argued Wednesday that the process, which isn't legally required, other than public comment and the legislature consideration, was all done by the book. They said there's no legal precedent to move the case forward since the legislature took no action, saying doing so would 'open up a Pandora's Box.' 'Just because you're a lawmaker doesn't mean you don't make mistakes,' said Hunter. Hunter asked a judge to consider a joint resolution filed this legislative session by Edmond Republican Adam Pugh that would have sent the standards back to the board. Pugh argued the standards would cost taxpayers millions of dollars in updates to textbooks and curriculum. Dishman seemed weary of accepting the quoted over $30 million figure Wednesday, but Hunter noted the board and OSDE hadn't provided any other figures. Hunter also wanted Dishman to review the public comments. 'In this situation, we certainly want the judge to review everything carefully and thoughtfully,' said Hunter. Attorneys for the board and OSDE, while not providing another estimate, disputed the costs, but they did encourage Dishman to consider a motion to dismiss the case, arguing it's only costing taxpayers more money in legal fees. 'I just don't think that's good government, and I don't think that that's a correct argument, nor do I think the judge is going to buy it,' said Hunter. Judge Dishman did not say when he expects to make a decision on separate motions for the injunction/restraining order or to dismiss the case. Hunter expects an update in June. News 4 reached out to a spokesperson for State Superintendent Ryan Walters on Wednesday, but his office declined to comment. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
08-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Former OK Attorney General representing families, teachers suing OSDE and State Board of Education
OKLAHOMA CITY (KFOR) — Former Oklahoma Attorney General Mike Hunter is representing a group of parents and teachers in a lawsuit against the Oklahoma State Department of Education and the State Board of Education. Plaintiffs in the petition are trying to stop the adoption of new social studies standards that lawmakers could've sent back for additional review, but chose not to. The standards were approved in February and will be in place over the next six years. Mike Hunter speaking. (KFOR) RELATED: New OSDE school standards come with $33 million price tag 'Our goal is to get to the truth of the things,' said former Oklahoma Attorney General Mike Hunter. In a press conference on Wednesday, Hunter said the primary focus in the lawsuit is less about the content of the standards, but more about the process in which they were approved. For example, there was confusion over content in the standards when the state board approved them. 'One state board of education member in the minutes was indicated to have made the motion. She denies that there is clearly a difference between the standards that were online and the standards that were brought before the board,' said Hunter. The standards became a hot topic due to last minute changes. They were initially introduced in December 2024, then revised. In the revisions, students are asked to consider debunked 2020 election theories, stripped mentions of the Black Lives Matter movement, and refer to COVID-19 as originating in a Chinese lab. 'We do mention the inclusion of a passage in the standards that relates to the 2020 election,' Hunter said. State Superintendent Ryan Walters issued a statement about the lawsuit: The loudest voices attacking Oklahoma's new social studies standards come straight from the teachers union playbook. Why? Because these standards do something they can't stand: teach students to be proud of America. These are the most pro-American standards in the nation, rooted in the founding principles that built this country and shaped our state. That's exactly what Oklahoma parents want their kids to learn. Time and again, these radical teachers' unions are standing against the future of Oklahoma's education system and the values we hold dear. We're proud of these standards, and we'll keep fighting for an education system that puts students and our country first. State Supt. Ryan Walters 'They want their children, their grandchildren, and their pupils to be educated in a way that's consistent with the law,' Hunter said. The petition is being presented before Oklahoma County Judge Brent Dishman Wednesday afternoon. Hunter says he will also be requesting a temporary restraining order to keep the standards from going into effect while the lawsuit is pending. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to Oklahoma City.
Yahoo
07-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Former Oklahoma AG files lawsuit to invalidate new social studies standards
Yahoo is using AI to generate takeaways from this article. This means the info may not always match what's in the article. Reporting mistakes helps us improve the experience. Yahoo is using AI to generate takeaways from this article. This means the info may not always match what's in the article. Reporting mistakes helps us improve the experience. Yahoo is using AI to generate takeaways from this article. This means the info may not always match what's in the article. Reporting mistakes helps us improve the experience. Generate Key Takeaways Former Oklahoma Attorney General Mike Hunter speaks to news reporters Wednesday at the Oklahoma Contemporary Arts Center after filing a lawsuit to challenge newly adopted standards for social studies education. (Photo by Nuria Martinez-Keel/Oklahoma Voice) OKLAHOMA CITY — A group of Oklahoma parents, grandparents and teachers represented by a former Republican attorney general have asked a judge to nullify the state's controversial new academic standards for social studies. Former Attorney General Mike Hunter filed the group's lawsuit Wednesday morning in Oklahoma County District Court, alleging the adoption process was so flawed that the standards might not have been legal by the time they came before the state Legislature. Lawmakers have since allowed the standards to take effect. The plaintiffs allege the Oklahoma State Department of Education failed to follow its own rules for transparency when drafting the social studies standards and when presenting them to the state's top school board for approval. 'The reason we have rules, particularly in a democratic legislative setting, is that at the end of the day, due process is followed (with) adequate notice and an opportunity to be heard,' Hunter said during a news conference Wednesday. 'And I think that what happened failed that test.' Hunter said he will ask a district judge to temporarily bar the standards from taking effect while the lawsuit is pending. Academic standards mandate the topics that public schools must teach to students at each grade level. They are reviewed and updated every six years. State Superintendent Ryan Walters speaks during a meeting of the Oklahoma State Board of Education on April 24 in Oklahoma City. (Photo by Nuria Martinez-Keel/Oklahoma Voice) State Superintendent Ryan Walters led the process of developing the new version for social studies. After the lawsuit was filed Wednesday, Walters blamed criticism of the social studies standards on teacher unions, none of whom are a party to the case. He said the new standards are 'the most pro-American standards in the nation, rooted in the founding principles that built this country and shaped our state.' 'That's exactly what Oklahoma parents want their kids to learn,' Walters said in a statement. The seven plaintiffs — made up of three public school parents, two grandparents and two public school teachers — contend the standards present a 'distorted view of social studies that intentionally favors an outdated and blatantly biased perspective.' The new standards also don't align with best practices, Advanced Placement or college social studies courses, nor with current textbooks, their lawsuit states. Half of the Oklahoma State Board of Education said they were unaware at the time they approved the standards on Feb. 27 that the final version had significant differences from the original draft posted publicly in December. Only the December draft was accessible on the agency's website at the time of the board vote, and one board member, Mike Tinney, said this was the version he studied before voting on the standards. The Education Department didn't publicly post the final draft until weeks later. State Superintendent Ryan Walters, center, speaks at the head of the table where the Oklahoma State Board of Education meets on Feb. 27 in Oklahoma City. (Photo by Nuria Martinez-Keel/Oklahoma Voice) Email records the agency provided indicate the board members received the updated draft of the standards at 4 p.m. the day before their Feb. 27 meeting began the next morning. Walters said he provided the final version but it was up to the board members to read it. Walters and his staff didn't acknowledge during the Feb. 27 meeting that new language had been added, including claims of 'discrepancies' in 2020 election results. Only one board member, Deatherage, voted against the standards, saying he didn't have enough time to properly review the full document. Members of the board and Gov. Kevin Stitt encouraged the Legislature to return the standards to the state Board of Education for another vote, but Republican majorities in the House and Senate opted not to take action, allowing the standards to take effect by default. Hunter said the process that produced the new standards 'should be examined from alpha to omega.' He said he intends to have Walters, state Board of Education members and others involved in developing the standards interviewed as witnesses. Former Oklahoma Attorney General Mike Hunter speaks to news reporters May 7, 2025, at the Oklahoma Contemporary Arts Center. (Photo by Nuria Martinez-Keel/Oklahoma Voice) The lawsuit notes that the agency hasn't fully disclosed the names of all the individuals involved in the drafting committees and in focus groups that gave feedback, unlike in past years of standards revisions. Only an executive committee made up of mostly out-of-state conservative media personalities and far-right-wing policy advocates was identified. 'Our goal is to get to the truth of things,' Hunter said. The lawsuit filed Wednesday might not be the only legal challenge against the standards. The national law group Americans United for Separation of Church and State also might sue, said Alex Luchenitser, the organization's associate vice president and associate legal director. Americans United sees law violations both in the non-transparent way the standards were adopted and in their inclusion of Christian beliefs, Luchenitser said. The new standards require elementary schools to teach biblical stories and the teachings of Jesus 'that influenced the American colonists, founders and culture.' Instruction on Judeo-Christian values would continue in fifth and eighth grade. Alex Luchenitser, of Americans United for Separation of Church and State, speaks after a June 5 hearing at the Oklahoma County Courthouse in Oklahoma City. (Photo by Nuria Martinez-Keel/Oklahoma Voice) 'The standards attempt to promote Christianity in the classroom above all other religions,' Luchenitser said. 'They attempt to promote Christianity to first and second graders, very young and impressionable children. Parents need to have control about how their children are brought up with respect to religion, and religion should be taught in the home and in the house of worship. It shouldn't be taught in the classroom.' Walters has called church-state separation a myth and repeatedly pushed for the Bible to have more of a presence in public schools. Understanding biblical teachings will give important context to key events and figures in American history, he has said. Last year, he ordered all Oklahoma school districts to incorporate the Bible into their lesson plans and to keep a copy of it in every classroom — a mandate that Americans United has challenged in court. Walters later purchased over 500 copies of Lee Greenwood's God Bless the USA Bible, an edition known for having President Donald Trump's endorsement. Walters said the new social studies standards will 'teach students to be proud of America.' 'We're proud of these standards, and we'll keep fighting for an education system that puts students and our country first,' he said. SUPPORT: YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX
Yahoo
07-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Ryan Walters, education board sued over social studies standards approval process
A group of Oklahoma parents, grandparents and educators are challenging State schools Superintendent Ryan Walters and the State Board of Education in court over the approval process for new social studies standards. Former Attorney General Mike Hunter is representing the group in the suit, which he announced at a May 7 news conference. The lawsuit contends the board violated its procedures and state law in the way the controversial standards were approved. The plaintiffs are asking an Oklahoma County District Court judge to review the approval process and determine whether the process was legal. The challenge comes after the Oklahoma Senate declined to act on a resolution that would have rejected the standards, which are infused with election-denial language and Biblical references. More: Senate doesn't act to reject social studies standards that question 2020 election results Senate Education Committee Chair Sen. Adam Pugh had filed the resolution April 24 after three new Oklahoma State Board of Education members said they felt Walters deceived them by making last-minute additions to the standards without notifying them or the public. The standards have been at the center of controversy since they were introduced in December with dozens of mentions of the Bible. Recent changes include a section that says high school students should 'Identify discrepancies in 2020 elections results by looking at graphs and other information, including the sudden halting of ballot-counting in select cities in key battleground states, the security risks of mail-in balloting, sudden batch dumps, an unforeseen record number of voters, and the unprecedented contradiction of 'bellwether county' trends.' This article originally appeared on Oklahoman: Ryan Walters, OSBE sued over social studies standards approval process
