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Miami Herald
2 days ago
- Politics
- Miami Herald
MAGA Superintendent Ryan Walters Hits Out at Porn Claims
Oklahoma Superintendent Ryan Walters has hit back after colleagues alleged they saw images of nude women on a TV during a meeting in his office. Walters, a Republican, issued a statement on X on Sunday denying the claims as an investigation into the matter is reported to be underway. Newsweek has contacted Walters for comment. Walters has spoken out against showing what he deems to be "pornography" in schools and has pushed to remove books he says contain sexual content, including Khaled Hosseini's The Kite Runner. He also made headlines for his endorsements of pro-religious policies in Oklahoma's public schools, including putting Bibles that mimicked the "God Bless the USA Bibles" endorsed by President Donald Trump in 2024, into classrooms. Two board members who attended the executive session of the Oklahoma State Board of Education on July 24, chaired by Walters, told The Oklahoman that images of naked women were displayed on a TV screen. The allegations came from Ryan Deatherage of Kingfisher and Becky Carson of Edmond, who described the ordeal as "really bizarre." The newspaper reported that it was not clear who was responsible for the alleged images, and that Deatherage said Walters was sitting with his back to the TV screen, so it wasn't in Walters' direct view. The superintendent allegedly turned off the TV after Carson alerted him to the matter. On X, Walters said the claims were "politically motivated attacks" as he is leading the charge for a "bold overhaul of education" in the state. "Any suggestion that a device of mine was used to stream inappropriate content on the television set is categorically false," he wrote, adding that there was "absolutely no truth" to the allegations. Earlier, in a statement to The Oklahoman, Quinton Hitchcock, a spokesperson for Walters, described the story as a "junk tabloid lie." "Any number of people have access to these offices. You have a hostile board who will say and do anything except tell the truth, and now, the Woklahoman is reporting on an alleged random TV cable image," he said, using a term for the newspaper often adopted by Walters. The closed meeting was being held to discuss teacher licensing, student attendance appeals and other sensitive issues, the newspaper reported. "I was like, 'Those are naked women,'" Carson told The Oklahoman. "And then I was like, 'No, wait a minute. Those aren't naked, surely those aren't naked women. Something is playing a trick on my eye. Maybe they just have on tan body suits. … This is just really bizarre.'" "I saw them just walking across the screen, and I'm like, 'no.' I'm sorry I even have to use this language, but I'm like, 'Those are her nipples,'" she continued. "And then I'm like, 'That's pubic hair.' What in the world am I watching? I didn't watch a second longer." Oklahoma Superintendent Ryan Walters wrote on X: "As I lead the charge for a bold overhaul of education in Oklahoma, putting parents back in control, rejecting radical agendas, and demanding excellence: it's no surprise to face politically motivated attacks. "Any suggestion that a device of mine was used to stream inappropriate content on the television set is categorically false. I have no knowledge of what was on the TV screen during the alleged incident, and there is absolutely no truth to any implication of wrongdoing. "These falsehoods are the desperate tactics of a broken establishment afraid of real change. They aren't just attacking me, they're attacking the values of the Oklahomans who elected me to challenge the status quo. "I will not be distracted. My focus remains on making Oklahoma the best state in the nation, in every category." Board member Becky Carson said in a statement, according to KOCO 5 News: "I was appointed to the State Board of Education to serve Oklahoma students to the best of my ability. The images that board members were exposed to yesterday in this meeting were inappropriate to say the least. There has to be accountability." Board member Ryan Deatherage said in a statement, according to KOCO 5 News: "As an appointed member of the Oklahoma School Board, it is my top priority to protect the well-being of Oklahoma students. We hold educators to the strictest of standards when it comes to explicit material. The standard for the superintendent should be no different." An investigation is underway into the matter, according to reports. Related Articles Christian MAGA Singer Vows To Continue Despite Canada ProtestsDonald Trump's Odds of Completing Presidency Fall Amid Epstein UproarFull List of MAGA Influencers at Odds With Trump Admin Over Epstein FilesDonald Trump Reacts to Hulk Hogan's Death 2025 NEWSWEEK DIGITAL LLC.
Newsweek
2 days ago
- Politics
- Newsweek
MAGA Superintendent Ryan Walters Hits Out at Porn Claims
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. Oklahoma Superintendent Ryan Walters has hit back after colleagues alleged they saw images of nude women on a TV during a meeting in his office. Walters, a Republican, issued a statement on X on Sunday denying the claims as an investigation into the matter is reported to be underway. Newsweek has contacted Walters for comment. Why It Matters Walters has spoken out against showing what he deems to be "pornography" in schools and has pushed to remove books he says contain sexual content, including Khaled Hosseini's The Kite Runner. He also made headlines for his endorsements of pro-religious policies in Oklahoma's public schools, including putting Bibles that mimicked the "God Bless the USA Bibles" endorsed by President Donald Trump in 2024, into classrooms. State Superintendent Ryan Walters speaks to members of the State Board of Education at a meeting in Oklahoma City on August 24, 2023. State Superintendent Ryan Walters speaks to members of the State Board of Education at a meeting in Oklahoma City on August 24, 2023. Daniel Shular/Tulsa World via AP What To Know Two board members who attended the executive session of the Oklahoma State Board of Education on July 24, chaired by Walters, told The Oklahoman that images of naked women were displayed on a TV screen. The allegations came from Ryan Deatherage of Kingfisher and Becky Carson of Edmond, who described the ordeal as "really bizarre." The newspaper reported that it was not clear who was responsible for the alleged images, and that Deatherage said Walters was sitting with his back to the TV screen, so it wasn't in Walters' direct view. The superintendent allegedly turned off the TV after Carson alerted him to the matter. On X, Walters said the claims were "politically motivated attacks" as he is leading the charge for a "bold overhaul of education" in the state. "Any suggestion that a device of mine was used to stream inappropriate content on the television set is categorically false," he wrote, adding that there was "absolutely no truth" to the allegations. Earlier, in a statement to The Oklahoman, Quinton Hitchcock, a spokesperson for Walters, described the story as a "junk tabloid lie." "Any number of people have access to these offices. You have a hostile board who will say and do anything except tell the truth, and now, the Woklahoman is reporting on an alleged random TV cable image," he said, using a term for the newspaper often adopted by Walters. The closed meeting was being held to discuss teacher licensing, student attendance appeals and other sensitive issues, the newspaper reported. "I was like, 'Those are naked women,'" Carson told The Oklahoman. "And then I was like, 'No, wait a minute. Those aren't naked, surely those aren't naked women. Something is playing a trick on my eye. Maybe they just have on tan body suits. … This is just really bizarre.'" "I saw them just walking across the screen, and I'm like, 'no.' I'm sorry I even have to use this language, but I'm like, 'Those are her nipples,'" she continued. "And then I'm like, 'That's pubic hair.' What in the world am I watching? I didn't watch a second longer." What People Are Saying Oklahoma Superintendent Ryan Walters wrote on X: "As I lead the charge for a bold overhaul of education in Oklahoma, putting parents back in control, rejecting radical agendas, and demanding excellence: it's no surprise to face politically motivated attacks. "Any suggestion that a device of mine was used to stream inappropriate content on the television set is categorically false. I have no knowledge of what was on the TV screen during the alleged incident, and there is absolutely no truth to any implication of wrongdoing. "These falsehoods are the desperate tactics of a broken establishment afraid of real change. They aren't just attacking me, they're attacking the values of the Oklahomans who elected me to challenge the status quo. "I will not be distracted. My focus remains on making Oklahoma the best state in the nation, in every category." Board member Becky Carson said in a statement, according to KOCO 5 News: "I was appointed to the State Board of Education to serve Oklahoma students to the best of my ability. The images that board members were exposed to yesterday in this meeting were inappropriate to say the least. There has to be accountability." Board member Ryan Deatherage said in a statement, according to KOCO 5 News: "As an appointed member of the Oklahoma School Board, it is my top priority to protect the well-being of Oklahoma students. We hold educators to the strictest of standards when it comes to explicit material. The standard for the superintendent should be no different." What Happens Next An investigation is underway into the matter, according to reports.
USA Today
07-07-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
Oklahoma athletic director Joe Castiglione to retire during upcoming school year
One of the longest-tenured figures in major college athletics will be calling it a career. Oklahoma athletics director Joe Castiglione, who is about to enter his 28th season in his current role, will retire, the school revealed July 7. The university sent a media advisory to confirm Castiglione will 'announce his planned retirement' at a press conference July 8. The 67-year-old Castiglione will remain with the Sooners as athletic director emeritus after the hiring of his successor, according to The Oklahoman. Castiglione, the longest-serving AD in major college sports, has led the Oklahoma athletic department since 1998, when he was hired by the Sooners following a five-year stint at Missouri. Over the past 27 years, he has established himself as one of the more decorated and heralded athletic directors in college sports, with Oklahoma teams racking up 26 national titles and 117 conference championships. Perhaps his most impactful move came in 1999, when he hired then-Florida defensive coordinator Bob Stoops as the Sooners football coach after the firing of John Blake. Stoops led Oklahoma to a national championship in just his second season, won 10 Big 12 titles and went 191-48 during his 19-year run at the school. Under Stoops and his successor, Lincoln Riley, the Sooners have had four Heisman Trophy winners since 2003. In men's basketball, he hired Lon Kruger, who guided the Sooners to the 2016 Final Four. Two Oklahoma men's basketball players, Blake Griffin in 2009 and Buddy Hield in 2016, won national player of the year honors during Castiglione's time at the school. Oklahoma has also been a national powerhouse in softball and women's gymnastics with each program winning seven national titles since 2013. More recently, Oklahoma moved conferences, leaving its longtime home, the Big 12, for the SEC ahead of the 2024-25 academic year. The Sooners' broader athletic success earned Castiglione athletic director of the year honors from the National Association of Collegiate Directors of Athletics (NACDA) in 2000 and 2018.
Yahoo
07-07-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Oklahoma high school spring sports: 2025 All-City teams in baseball, soccer, track & more
The 2025 Oklahoma high school spring sports season has come to a close, so now it's time to hand out some hardware and some articles honoring the best teams and athletes in the OKC area and across the state. The Oklahoman has announced 2025 All-City and All-State awards for baseball, golf, soccer, slowpitch softball, tennis and track & field. Advertisement You can also look back on all the fall and winter winners. Oklahoma high school baseball Oklahoma All-State baseball: How Eli Willits left his mark at Fort Cobb-Broxton Oklahoma All-State baseball: How Kris Webb led Edmond Santa Fe to a season to remember All-State baseball: Meet The Oklahoman's 2025 All-State high school baseball first team All-State baseball: Meet The Oklahoman's 2025 All-State high school baseball roster Big All-City baseball: Meet The Oklahoman's Big All-City high school baseball first team Big All-City baseball: Meet The Oklahoman's Big All-City high school baseball roster Advertisement Little All-City baseball: Meet The Oklahoman's Little All-City high school baseball first team Little All-City baseball: Meet The Oklahoman's Little All-City high school baseball roster Oklahoma high school golf All-City boys golf: Meet The Oklahoman's All-City high school boys golf first team All-City boys golf: Meet The Oklahoman's All-City high school boys golf roster All-City girls golf: Meet The Oklahoman's All-City high school girls golf first team All-City girls golf: Meet The Oklahoman's All-City high school girls golf roster Oklahoma high school soccer All-City boys soccer: Meet The Oklahoman's All-City high school boys soccer first team Advertisement All-City boys soccer: Meet The Oklahoman's All-City high school boys soccer roster All-City girls soccer: Meet The Oklahoman's All-City high school girls soccer first team All-City girls soccer: Meet The Oklahoman's All-City high school girls soccer roster Oklahoma high school slowpitch softball All-City slowpitch softball: Meet The Oklahoman's 2025 All-City slowpitch softball first team All-City slowpitch softball: Meet The Oklahoman's 2025 All-City slowpitch softball roster Oklahoma high school tennis All-City boys tennis: Meet The Oklahoman's All-City high school boys tennis first team Advertisement All-City boys tennis: Meet The Oklahoman's All-City high school boys tennis roster All-City girls tennis: Meet The Oklahoman's All-City high school girls tennis first team All-City girls tennis: Meet The Oklahoman's All-City high school girls tennis roster Oklahoma high school track and field Big All-City boys track & field: Meet The Oklahoman's Big All-City high school boys track & field first team Big All-City boys track & field: Meet The Oklahoman's Big All-City high school track & field boys roster Big All-City girls track & field: Meet The Oklahoman's Big All-City high school girls track & field first team Advertisement Big All-City girls track & field: Meet The Oklahoman's Big All-City high school track & field girls roster Little All-City boys track & field: Meet The Oklahoman's Little All-City high school boys track & field first team Little All-City boys track & field: Meet The Oklahoman's Little All-City high school boys track & field roster Little All-City girls track & field: Meet The Oklahoman's Little All-City high school girls track & field first team Little All-City girls track & field: Meet The Oklahoman's Little All-City high school girls track & field roster This article originally appeared on Oklahoman: Oklahoma high school spring sports awards 2025 in baseball, golf, more
Yahoo
24-06-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
How do OKC Thunder players view their own adversity compared to past NBA champions?
LIVE UPDATES: Follow The Oklahoman's live coverage of Thunder vs. Pacers in Game 7 of the NBA Finals. Chet Holmgren couldn't believe what he was hearing. The 23-year-old, calculated and fluent in Thundernese, stared through the question and stuttered through his attempts to process it. Advertisement He sat upright before an NBA Finals backdrop some months after he couldn't move at all. Even so, he's been served reminders of all the reasons his Oklahoma City squad, a win away from the franchise's first title entering Game 7 Sunday night, was told it couldn't be here. That it was too young. Too inexperienced. Too bird-chested. Too jovial. Too familial. Too even-keeled. That the adversity it faced was too thin or short-lived; before being crowned, Boston's postseason agony stretched multiple seasons, and Denver's path went from bubble to bumbling to popping bubbly. Even LeBron James' Heat squads, with rings for several fingers, acquired bloody knuckles. 'Are they making it sound like this was easy or something?' Holmgren questioned. Pre-order our new book on Thunder's run to NBA Finals Advertisement Mussatto: Thunder has won its 'must-win' games. Now comes Game 7, biggest test of all. Not necessarily, Chet. But the prophecy NBA fans and pundits know features a gory rite of passage. Being forced to wait your turn, sat down by a team more deserving, more experienced or both. Asked to better learn the limbs of your growing team over cruel summers. The Celtics know those licks better than anyone, competent enough to take them in conference finals and the 2022 NBA Finals. 'We haven't failed big enough?' Holmgren said, his smirk growing through his bafflement. Holmgren shifted in his seat in disagreement. He can't argue with the fact that the bulk of this iteration of the Thunder hasn't repeatedly brushed up against championship hopes only to see them ripped away. He will debate the idea that the Thunder's journey here isn't painted by adversity. Advertisement He only needs to think back to the grim night where it seemed his second season could be lost just one year after the first was stolen. When his terrifying fall from shot-blocking height cracked his hip. Holmgren was immobile. Itching, burning inside. Around him, a team expected to make a run at a title was without a center of any sort. Seven-footers, and at one point even their break-the-glass, my-joints-shouldn't-be-doing-this understudy, Alex Caruso. Not to mention center Isaiah Hartenstein, who'd yet to play, was set to introduce an entirely new playstyle to OKC. Jalen Williams finally got around to first-world problems this season. To be the star the Thunder needed, he'd need to reconcile with his whistle. His force. More: Why Thunder homecourt advantage vs Pacers may be an understatement in Game 7 of NBA Finals Thunder players huddle before their 123-107 win over the Pacers in Game 2 of the NBA Finals at Paycom Center on June 8. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander endured the ugliness of adding a pull-up 3 to his arsenal. He watched the goal posts move from 'could he score 50?' to 'could he do this in the playoffs?' OKC's role players lived under the duress of future expectations, part of this evolving juggernaut. Advertisement But even they were hand-selected into this fold. Lu Dort and Aaron Wiggins are two-ways turned marks of this team. Dort never heard his name on draft night. Wiggins was a bottom-five pick. Caruso and Hartenstein chased this dream for years of their professional lives. They grinded out the G League, too, constantly forced to raise the bar until their role player reputations were accepted. 'My whole career has been a Game 7,' Hartenstein said. This team is the problem child of adverse individual paths. 'No David,' but capable of playing All-NBA defense. If they won't hear your theories on the path to contention as a team, they certainly won't when in the interrogation room alone. Advertisement 'When you (put) it like that, you make it sound like there's a threshold where you have to suffer and go through enough before you win,' Caruso said. 'You gotta go out there and win it. You've gotta go out there and earn it. If you're good enough, you're good enough. Whether you're the youngest team in the league, whether you're the oldest team in the league. Whether you've been there before you haven't.' NBA Finals roundtable: How can OKC Thunder win Game 7? What is path for Indiana Pacers? Those who've lived to pass along the war stories of the 20-something win seasons best illustrate the path here. They're Dort, SGA and Kenrich Williams, leaders of this group in voice and action. The habits, the principles, the understanding of winning — and certainly the understanding of losing — were all built then. Passed on by teachings, now shared by blood type. Individual fortitude now hardened by this shared mission: being one of the youngest teams to ever pull it off, and do so their own way. Advertisement 'We're a young team but we're a very emotionally mature team,' Caruso said. 'Very smart team, intellectual team. We're able to go through our mistakes without having to go through loss — at least during the regular season and not too much in the postseason. And that's a unique skill. That might be more important than experience, the ability to have self-awareness. Maybe teams in the past haven't had that.' Holmgren scoffs at luck. Fortune, in his eyes, isn't what worked back from the Lisfranc injury or lying in bed for weeks. It isn't what's pushed this youthful team through 83 wins and 104 games this year. 'I'm not very superstitious,' Holmgren admitted. If he needs to conjure belief in whether the Thunder's experiences are deserving of winning Sunday's Game 7, he won't need to hold a rabbit's foot. He can hold his hip for good measure. Advertisement Joel Lorenzi covers the Thunder and NBA for The Oklahoman. Have a story idea for Joel? He can be reached at jlorenzi@ or on X/Twitter at @joelxlorenzi. Sign up for the Thunder Sports Minute newsletter to access more NBA coverage. Support Joel's work and that of other Oklahoman journalists by purchasing a digital subscription today at More: NBA Finals Game 7 is a different beast, but Lu Dort has shined in a Game 7 before NBA Finals Game 7: Thunder vs. Pacers TIPOFF: 7 p.m. Sunday at Paycom Center in Oklahoma City (ABC) This article originally appeared on Oklahoman: How OKC Thunder players view own adversity compared to past champions
