Latest news with #Walters
San Francisco Chronicle
3 days ago
- Politics
- San Francisco Chronicle
Oklahoma authorities investigate reports of explicit images on state education chief's TV
An Oklahoma sheriff's office Monday opened an investigation over reports that images of nude women were displayed on the state's school superintendent office television during a meeting with education board members. Top Oklahoma lawmakers have sought answers over accounts given by two State Board of Education members, who said they saw the images during a meeting in Ryan Walters 's office Thursday. Another board member, Chris Van Denhende, said he was not in a position to see the television but that 'something was on the screen that should not have been,' based on Walters' reaction. The investigation is in the early stages, said Aaron Brilbeck, a spokesperson for the Oklahoma County Sheriff's Office. He said it was not clear if any laws were violated. Walters, a Republican, has spent much of his first term in office lauding President Donald Trump, feuding with teachers unions and local school superintendents, and trying to end what he describes as 'wokeness' in public schools. Brilbeck said the sheriff's office was investigating at the request of the state's Office of Management and Enterprise Services, which handles technology, human resources and property management issues for state government. Education board members Becky Carson and Ryan Deatherage told the online news outlet NonDoc that they saw a video featuring naked women in Walters' office during the executive session. They said that they were the only people seated in places where they could see the screen. Carson said that when she asked Walters to turn it off he expressed confusion before doing so. Walters said in a post on the social platform X on Sunday that '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,' he wrote. Walters' office did not immediately reply to a request by The Associated Press for comment about the investigation on Monday. Van Denhende told the AP that he's fine with the sheriff's department investigating, though 'I'm not certain if it is a violation of law or state policy.' Senate Pro Tem Lonnie Paxton, a Republican, in a news release on Friday said it was 'a bizarre and troubling situation,' and that 'the accounts made public by board members paint a strange, unsettling scene that demands clarity and transparency.'
Winnipeg Free Press
3 days ago
- Politics
- Winnipeg Free Press
Oklahoma authorities investigate reports of explicit images on state education chief's TV
An Oklahoma sheriff's office Monday opened an investigation over reports that images of nude women were displayed on the state's school superintendent office television during a meeting with education board members. Top Oklahoma lawmakers have sought answers over accounts given by two State Board of Education members, who said they saw the images during a meeting in Ryan Walters 's office Thursday. Another board member, Chris Van Denhende, said he was not in a position to see the television but that 'something was on the screen that should not have been,' based on Walters' reaction. The investigation is in the early stages, said Aaron Brilbeck, a spokesperson for the Oklahoma County Sheriff's Office. He said it was not clear if any laws were violated. Walters, a Republican, has spent much of his first term in office lauding President Donald Trump, feuding with teachers unions and local school superintendents, and trying to end what he describes as 'wokeness' in public schools. Brilbeck said the sheriff's office was investigating at the request of the state's Office of Management and Enterprise Services, which handles technology, human resources and property management issues for state government. Education board members Becky Carson and Ryan Deatherage told the online news outlet NonDoc that they saw a video featuring naked women in Walters' office during the executive session. They said that they were the only people seated in places where they could see the screen. Carson said that when she asked Walters to turn it off he expressed confusion before doing so. Walters said in a post on the social platform X on Sunday that '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,' he wrote. Walters' office did not immediately reply to a request by The Associated Press for comment about the investigation on Monday. Van Denhende told the AP that he's fine with the sheriff's department investigating, though 'I'm not certain if it is a violation of law or state policy.' Senate Pro Tem Lonnie Paxton, a Republican, in a news release on Friday said it was 'a bizarre and troubling situation,' and that 'the accounts made public by board members paint a strange, unsettling scene that demands clarity and transparency.' State Sen. Adam Pugh, a Republican who is the Senate education chairman, said in the news release that the reports from the meeting 'raise a number of questions.' Carson nor Deatherage immediately replied Monday to a request for comment from the AP.
Hamilton Spectator
3 days ago
- Politics
- Hamilton Spectator
Oklahoma authorities investigate reports of explicit images on state education chief's TV
An Oklahoma sheriff's office Monday opened an investigation over reports that images of nude women were displayed on the state's school superintendent office television during a meeting with education board members. Top Oklahoma lawmakers have sought answers over accounts given by two State Board of Education members, who said they saw the images during a meeting in Ryan Walters 's office Thursday. Another board member, Chris Van Denhende, said he was not in a position to see the television but that 'something was on the screen that should not have been,' based on Walters' reaction. The investigation is in the early stages, said Aaron Brilbeck, a spokesperson for the Oklahoma County Sheriff's Office. He said it was not clear if any laws were violated. Walters, a Republican, has spent much of his first term in office lauding President Donald Trump , feuding with teachers unions and local school superintendents, and trying to end what he describes as 'wokeness' in public schools. Brilbeck said the sheriff's office was investigating at the request of the state's Office of Management and Enterprise Services, which handles technology, human resources and property management issues for state government. Education board members Becky Carson and Ryan Deatherage told the online news outlet NonDoc that they saw a video featuring naked women in Walters' office during the executive session. They said that they were the only people seated in places where they could see the screen. Carson said that when she asked Walters to turn it off he expressed confusion before doing so. Walters said in a post on the social platform X on Sunday that '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,' he wrote. Walters' office did not immediately reply to a request by The Associated Press for comment about the investigation on Monday. Van Denhende told the AP that he's fine with the sheriff's department investigating, though 'I'm not certain if it is a violation of law or state policy.' Senate Pro Tem Lonnie Paxton, a Republican, in a news release on Friday said it was 'a bizarre and troubling situation,' and that 'the accounts made public by board members paint a strange, unsettling scene that demands clarity and transparency.' State Sen. Adam Pugh, a Republican who is the Senate education chairman, said in the news release that the reports from the meeting 'raise a number of questions.' Carson nor Deatherage immediately replied Monday to a request for comment from the AP. Error! Sorry, there was an error processing your request. There was a problem with the recaptcha. Please try again. You may unsubscribe at any time. By signing up, you agree to our terms of use and privacy policy . This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google privacy policy and terms of service apply. Want more of the latest from us? Sign up for more at our newsletter page .
NBC News
3 days ago
- Politics
- NBC News
Sheriff's office launches probe after reports of naked women seen on official's TV at Oklahoma Board of Education meeting
A sheriff's office in Oklahoma is investigating an incident that occurred during a state Board of Education meeting last week that reportedly involved images of naked women on the state schools superintendent's office television. The images were seen during the board's executive session, held in Superintendent Ryan Walters' office, The Oklahoman reported, citing members Ryan Deatherage and Becky Carson who attended the meeting. NBC News has not confirmed the accounts of Deatherage and Carson, who were both nominated by Gov. Kevin Stitt, a Republican. The Oklahoma County Sheriff's Office launched a probe into the incident, according to Aaron Brilbeck, public information officer for the sheriff's office, after a request from the agency that oversees human resources matters for the state government. Senate Pro Temp Lonnie Paxton and state Sen. Adam Pugh, both Republicans, had said in a joint news release Friday that the Office of Management and Enterprise Services, which oversees HR matters, was leading an inquiry into the incident and was working through proper channels to initiate an investigation. 'This is a bizarre and troubling situation that raises serious questions about the events and what took place during yesterday's executive session at the Oklahoma State Board of Education meeting,' Paxton said in a statement about the Board of Education's meeting held on Thursday. Accounts shared by members of the Board of Education, he added, "paint a strange, unsettling scene that demands clarity and transparency." The Office of Management and Enterprise Services didn't immediately respond to a request for comment. A legislative assistant to House Common Education Committee Chairman Dick Lowe, Caitlin Kilpatrick, pointed NBC News to reporting by the news outlet NonDoc that said Lowe attended the board meeting. Lowe told the publication that while he did not see the video of the naked women, he discussed the matter with the two board members who did view the images. 'Shocked would be maybe an understatement a little bit. In the position that that person is in, that's absolutely without a question not appropriate by any means for any state official, much less that state official,' Lowe told NonDoc. Walters, a conservative Republican, has pushed for proposals to further integrate religion in schools, such as placing Bibles in them. He has also advocated for requiring students enrolled in state public schools to provide proof of U.S. citizenship. In a statement posted Sunday on X after the allegations surrounding the meeting, Walters denied any wrongdoing. "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," Walters said. "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." NBC News reached out to Walters and his spokesman, as well as Deatherage, Carson and the four other members of the Oklahoma Board of Education, for comment. Oklahoma House Minority Leader Cyndi Munson, a Democrat, said in a statement Monday that the Democratic Caucus has made six calls over the last two years requesting a special bipartisan committee to investigate Walters regarding other matters. "Before these recent allegations came out, he has shown multiple times throughout his leadership that he has no interest in bettering the public education system for students and teachers. He is mainly concerned with advancing his own political and religious agendas," she said. "These new allegations are serious and troubling, and while we wait for the investigation to be finished, I think it's prudent to acknowledge that there has been a dire need for change in leadership at the Oklahoma State Department of Education for a long time."
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Politics
- Yahoo
July's hot topics: Ryan Walters, public broadcasting are columnists' top takes
Summer temperatures are starting to heat up, and education has been a hot topic in July. Our guest columnists and our editorial team have had takes on state schools Superintendent Ryan Walters' mandate that schools fund free meals for all students, his call for a "wokeness test" for teachers and other topics. On Ryan Walters ANOTHER MESS: Walters is pushing a brand-new unfunded mandate ― trying to slash administrator pay and meddle with school breakfast and lunch programs. Guest columnist Mark McBride says he and everybody he talks to are fed up with Walters' nonsense. YOUR TAKE: Was Walters acting within his authority to threaten reprisals against school districts that failed to provide free lunches? Readers speak out. CLASS CLOWN?: Oklahoma Voice's Janelle Stecklein writes that Walters apparently has no idea — nor a care for — what providing free lunches is going to cost. He looks like a bumbling public official in his free food stunt. WAKE-UP CALL: Walters wants to withhold teaching certificates from applicants who do not pass a "wokeness test." This isn't what we need, our editorial team writes. On other education topics BIG LEAGUE BARRIERS: For Oklahoma City to remain on the rise, guest columnist Brent Bushey writes, we must bring the same bold commitment to our public schools that we brought to building an NBA championship team. QUIET CRISIS: Porn, weed use are hurting our boys, guest columnist K. John Lee writes. It's time to speak up. This isn't about nostalgia or moral panic. It's about neuroscience, accessibility and the quiet crisis stealing our boys' identity and ambition. On national topics SAVE PUBLIC TV, RADIO: The people's antidote to lawmakers' failures? Keep the 'public' in public broadcasting and fund statewide programming ourselves, our editorial team writes. A Todd Pendleton cartoon tackles the topic of PBS, NPR funding cuts being approved by Congress. Will Elmo be just another casualty of the GOP culture war? MORAL UNRAVELING: Guest columnist Kama Garrison, a former USAID employee in Washington, D.C., writes about the grief she is experiencing after losing her job with USAID — not just for a career, but for values and the moral compass she thought we all shared — truth, service and compassion. PULPIT POLITICS?: Despite a change in IRS tax code, political choices should be determined by each individual conscience, not the church, writes the Rev. Poulson Reed. Want more Viewpoints? Sign up for the Public Square newsletter here. This article originally appeared on Oklahoman: July's hot topics were Ryan Walters, public broadcasting | Opinion Solve the daily Crossword
