Latest news with #OklahomaCountyDistrictCourt
Yahoo
29-05-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Judge set to rule on future of controversial Oklahoma social studies standards
A ruling on Oklahoma's controversial social studies standards has yet to be made in a legal challenge in Oklahoma County District Court attempting to prevent their implementation. (Photo by Nuria Martinez-Keel/Oklahoma Voice) OKLAHOMA CITY — After nearly three hours of oral arguments Wednesday, an Oklahoma County district judge said he isn't ready to rule on a legal challenge to the state's controversial social studies standards. District Judge Brent Dishman said he wanted to wait for a written response from the group challenging the standards after the Oklahoma Board of Education moved to dismiss the case, arguing that critics failed to point to any violation of statute, and the state agency followed the process as required by law. Dishman has been asked to either implement an injunction to block the standards from being implemented or to dismiss the legal challenge outright. A group of seven Oklahoma parents, grandparents and teachers represented by former Republican Attorney General Mike Hunter have sued and asked Dishman to nullify the controversial academic standards, which include language about discrepancies in the 2020 election, the origins of the COVID-19 pandemic and biblical lessons. Michael Beason, the state Department of Education's attorney, argued Wednesday that the lawsuit is a waste of taxpayer dollars as the defense 'searches for a needle in a haystack.' He said a handful of educators don't like the standards and the plaintiffs 'do not have a case recognized under Oklahoma law.' The plaintiffs, though, argued the process used to implement the rules was flawed and the results are not 'accurate' or 'best practices' for academic standards. The new academic standards for social studies are reviewed every six years, but state Superintendent Ryan Walters, who was not present at Wednesday's hearing, enlisted national conservative media personalities and right-wing policy advocates to aid in writing the latest version of the standards this year. Around half of the members of the state Board of Education later said they weren't aware of last minute changes Walters made to the standards, but only one board member, Ryan Deatherage, voted against them. While lawmakers allowed the standards to take effect, lawmakers on both sides of the aisle called for them to be sent back to the board to be reconsidered. After the hearing, Hunter said he appreciated Dishman's 'careful interest' in the arguments and that he expected a ruling by the end of June. 'Despite the arguments of the defendants, there has to be a recourse by citizens when there's a process like this that is so flawed,' he said. 'No vote by the Legislature and then an action of a state agency becomes law. If we believe the defendant's arguments today, that Oklahoma citizens have no recourse in this situation based on a strained construction of the statutes, 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 gonna buy it.' James Welch, an Oklahoma teacher and plaintiff in the case, testified at Wednesday's hearing that the review process was not a true 'collaboration of experts in the field and teachers in the classroom' like he thought it would be. Using a math analogy, the judge asked Welch, a volunteer member of the standards writing committee, if he would feel the same way about the standards and process if the subject were instead math and the standards omitted trigonometry. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX Welch said he would because omitting the most up-to-date standards of learning means students don't achieve full understanding of a subject. While the defense did not comment after the hearing, they argued that the plaintiffs could not point to a specific violation of law and simply didn't like what was in the standards. Chad Kutmas, an attorney for the state Board of Education, said the plaintiffs 'complain about how the sausage is made, but that's just how it's made.' 'Everyone knew it was going on and the political body let it happen,' he said. 'It's inappropriate for a court to step in at this late stage.' SUPPORT: YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE
Yahoo
29-05-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Judge set to rule on future of controversial Oklahoma social studies standards
A ruling on Oklahoma's controversial social studies standards has yet to be made in a legal challenge in Oklahoma County District Court attempting to prevent their implementation. (Photo by Nuria Martinez-Keel/Oklahoma Voice) OKLAHOMA CITY — After nearly three hours of oral arguments Wednesday, an Oklahoma County district judge said he isn't ready to rule on a legal challenge to the state's controversial social studies standards. District Judge Brent Dishman said he wanted to wait for a written response from the group challenging the standards after the Oklahoma Board of Education moved to dismiss the case, arguing that critics failed to point to any violation of statute, and the state agency followed the process as required by law. Dishman has been asked to either implement an injunction to block the standards from being implemented or to dismiss the legal challenge outright. A group of seven Oklahoma parents, grandparents and teachers represented by former Republican Attorney General Mike Hunter have sued and asked Dishman to nullify the controversial academic standards, which include language about discrepancies in the 2020 election, the origins of the COVID-19 pandemic and biblical lessons. Michael Beason, the state Department of Education's attorney, argued Wednesday that the lawsuit is a waste of taxpayer dollars as the defense 'searches for a needle in a haystack.' He said a handful of educators don't like the standards and the plaintiffs 'do not have a case recognized under Oklahoma law.' The plaintiffs, though, argued the process used to implement the rules was flawed and the results are not 'accurate' or 'best practices' for academic standards. The new academic standards for social studies are reviewed every six years, but state Superintendent Ryan Walters, who was not present at Wednesday's hearing, enlisted national conservative media personalities and right-wing policy advocates to aid in writing the latest version of the standards this year. Around half of the members of the state Board of Education later said they weren't aware of last minute changes Walters made to the standards, but only one board member, Ryan Deatherage, voted against them. While lawmakers allowed the standards to take effect, lawmakers on both sides of the aisle called for them to be sent back to the board to be reconsidered. After the hearing, Hunter said he appreciated Dishman's 'careful interest' in the arguments and that he expected a ruling by the end of June. 'Despite the arguments of the defendants, there has to be a recourse by citizens when there's a process like this that is so flawed,' he said. 'No vote by the Legislature and then an action of a state agency becomes law. If we believe the defendant's arguments today, that Oklahoma citizens have no recourse in this situation based on a strained construction of the statutes, 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 gonna buy it.' James Welch, an Oklahoma teacher and plaintiff in the case, testified at Wednesday's hearing that the review process was not a true 'collaboration of experts in the field and teachers in the classroom' like he thought it would be. Using a math analogy, the judge asked Welch, a volunteer member of the standards writing committee, if he would feel the same way about the standards and process if the subject were instead math and the standards omitted trigonometry. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX Welch said he would because omitting the most up-to-date standards of learning means students don't achieve full understanding of a subject. While the defense did not comment after the hearing, they argued that the plaintiffs could not point to a specific violation of law and simply didn't like what was in the standards. Chad Kutmas, an attorney for the state Board of Education, said the plaintiffs 'complain about how the sausage is made, but that's just how it's made.' 'Everyone knew it was going on and the political body let it happen,' he said. 'It's inappropriate for a court to step in at this late stage.' SUPPORT: YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE
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
Yahoo
03-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Nonprofit sues Ryan Walters, library board, alleging open records and open meetings violations
An Oklahoma nonprofit already involved in multiple lawsuits against state schools Superintendent Ryan Walters has added another, alleging violations of open meeting and public records laws by Walters and the agency he leads, the Oklahoma State Department of Education. The lawsuit, filed Tuesday in Oklahoma County District Court by the Tulsa-based Oklahoma Appleseed Center for Law and Justice, alleges violations of the Open Meeting Act related to the creation and operation of the Library Media Advisory Committee, a public body tasked with reviewing school library materials. The lawsuit also contends the state agency has failed to comply with the Open Records Act by withholding requested public documents regarding the formation, membership selection and activities of the library committee. The case has been assigned to District Judge Anthony Bonner. No hearing dates have been set. During a meeting of the Oklahoma State Board of Education in January 2024, Walters disclosed the formation of the committee, a panel he said would include Chaya Raichik, the woman behind the conservative 'Libs of TikTok' social media account. Raichik also is named as a defendant in the lawsuit. She and Walters often trade congratulatory social media posts, and a video of her praising Walters for the library committee's formation was shown during that state board meeting. Also named as defendants were the state education board, that board's current members and former member Kendra Wesson, and the library committee. "This lawsuit is nothing more than a politically motivated attack by a radical, Soros-funded organization determined to obstruct the work being done in Oklahoma," Walters said. "These extremists are using the legal system to harass and obstruct progress in an effort to push their radical agenda. OSDE will not be bullied by extremist organizations trying to weaponize the courts and remains committed to transparency and compliance with all legal requirements." Walters' claim about Oklahoma Appleseed being funded by liberal billionaire George Soros is false. Walters is, or has been, a defendant in at least 20 state and federal lawsuits filed since he took office in January 2023. Despite multiple open records requests from multiple media outlets, Walters and the state agency have steadfastly declined to identify any other members of the library committee, which appears to be a public committee, given its work for a state agency. The state Education Department has said the committee is a volunteer advisory board appointed by Walters and is made up of parents, current or retired librarians, and English literature teachers. Oklahoma Appleseed says despite repeated requests, the agency has not provided information on how library committee members — specifically Raichik — were appointed and how the committee conducts its business. The lawsuit claims the state agency and the library committee have violated the Open Meeting Act by failing to hold public meetings, post agendas or conduct public votes. Although the committee was publicly announced as a government advisory body, it has never met in compliance with the law, effectively operating in secrecy, according to the lawsuit. Oklahoma Appleseed also said it has yet to have a June 28 open records request, seeking information about the library committee, filled by the state Education Department. Open records provided to The Oklahoman last year gave a glimpse into how the committee was formed and some of its work, but did not include its membership list, which has been requested multiple times by the newspaper. The committee has not been mentioned publicly by Walters since an Oklahoma Supreme Court decision effectively voided a handful of the agency's administrative rules — pushed by Walters and approved by the state Board of Education ― including one giving the agency the authority to determine what books could be in the libraries of individual school districts. That decision stemmed from a lawsuit originally filed by Edmond Public Schools. The court ruled that to be a decision reserved to local school boards, not any state agency or board. Oklahoma Appleseed seeks a court order compelling the Education Department to release all requested public records and requiring the library committee to comply with Open Meetings Act requirements. Brent Rowland, the legal director of Oklahoma Appleseed, said the lawsuit filed Tuesday was about government transparency and accountability. 'The public has a right to know who is making decisions affecting its public schools,' Rowland said. 'Oklahomans have a right to expect that their government will follow the law regarding open records and open meetings. 'In this instance, the state Department of Education has formed a Library Media Advisory Committee to make decisions about students' access to books when our state Supreme Court has determined those decisions should be made by local school boards. State officials cannot hide behind closed doors and avoid public accountability, and why would they want to?' Oklahoma Appleseed is a party to at least two other lawsuits involving Walters, one in the Oklahoma Supreme Court regarding his Bible mandate and one that's been appealed to the same court. That case was filed by a Moore Public Schools student seeking to change their pronouns in school records. (This story was updated to add new information.) This article originally appeared on Oklahoman: Nonprofit sues Ryan Walters over open records, Libs of TikTok hire
Yahoo
26-03-2025
- Yahoo
Oklahoma Co. Warrant Clearing Event April 4
OKLAHOMA CITY (KFOR) – Individuals seeking to clear old municipal warrants will have an opportunity on April 4, 2025, at the Oklahoma County's Warrant Clearing event. The event is a collaboration between the Oklahoma City Municipal Court and with Oklahoma County District Court assisting people clear any outstanding warrant for traffic violations and criminal misdemeanors. 'Sign up': Edmond 911's Project KEEP serves special needs citizens safely 'This event exemplifies the commitment of the Oklahoma City Municipal Court and Oklahoma County District Court to promote public safety and community well-being by providing pathways for court patrons to resolve outstanding warrants,' OKC Municipal Court Administrator Mankinta Holloway said. Details: Date: April 4 Time: 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Location: Regional Food Bank of Oklahoma Volunteer Center, 3355 S. Purdue St. Those needing a ride to the April 4 Warrant Clearing Event contact (405) 594-8843 to request transportation. The event showcases Oklahoma City Municipal Court and its programs and services in place to assist people in addressing their case(s) ensuring ongoing access to the justice system without fearing arrest. For more information about case status or available program options, contact the Oklahoma City Municipal Court (405) 297-3898 or visit the Municipal Court Customer Service Window, 701 Couch Dr., from 7:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Click here for online payments. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
