Ryan Walters, the staunch MAGA supporter, devout Christian and Oklahoma state schools superintendent, was busted with pornographic images on his office TV during a meeting.
Oklahoma State Board of Education members Ryan Deatherage and Becky Carson said they saw nude women on the TV while they were in the meeting with Walters on Thursday, according to NonDoc.
“I was like, ‘What am I seeing?’ I kind of was in shock, honestly. I started to question whether I was actually seeing what I was seeing,” Carson said. “I was like, ‘Is that woman naked?’ And then I was like, ‘No, she’s got a body suit on.’ And it happened very quickly, I was like, ‘That is not a body suit.’ And I hate to even use these terms, but I said, ‘Those are her nipples.’ And then I was looking closer, and I got a full-body view, and I was like, ‘That is pubic hair.’ Even right now, I couldn’t even tell you what I was watching.”
Carson said she confronted Walters about the images but he claimed to have no idea how they ended up on his office TV.
“I don’t know if he turned it off or switched the channel, I don’t remember,” Deatherage said. “I was surprised that when he came back to the table, he was not apologetic. I didn’t ever hear an apology for that being on, and he didn’t seem to be fazed that it was on.”
Both members are demanding that Walters be held accountable.
Walters has made national headlines over pushing Christianity and a pro-Trump agenda in Oklahoma schools. He has led the effort in Oklahoma to ban books with ‘pornograhic’ material from schools and public libraries. At Thursday’s meeting, he was reportedly discussing a plan to test teachers moving to Oklahoma to ensure they do not bring ‘woke’ ideologies into the state’s schools.
Walters responded to the accusations on Friday by blaming Carson and Deatherage and suggested that they are attacking him for political reasons.
“Some of these board members are blatantly dishonest and cannot hide their political agenda,” he said. “It is disappointing that they are more interested in creating distractions than getting work done for Oklahoma families.”
Other state leaders and lawmakers from both sides are also reacting to the report.
“I trust and appreciate my board members,” Gov. Kevin Stitt (R) said. “They are volunteers who are sacrificing their time to serve Oklahoma students. Should these allegations be true, all I can say is that I am profoundly disappointed.”
“These are serious allegations made by two members of the State Board and an expeditious third-party review is warranted. I urge the State Superintendent to unlock and turn over all relevant devices and fully cooperate with an investigation. If no wrongdoing occurred, a prompt and transparent review should quickly clear his name,” House Speaker Kyle Hilbert (R) said.
“It’s not a surprising coincidence that news of Oklahoma’s schools falling to 50th in the nation arrived within hours of reports of the State Superintendent airing porn in his office,” Oklahoma Democratic Party Chair John Waldron said. “Ryan Walters’ leadership is a moral failure and an institutional failure, and our students are paying the price.”
“Regardless of if recent allegations are true, Oklahomans are in dire need of new leadership at the Oklahoma State Department of Education,” House Democratic Leader Cyndi Munson said in a statement. “While we wait for more information, we will follow the guidance of the Speaker and trust that any alleged moral or criminal wrongdoings will be thoroughly investigated.”
“Shocked would be maybe an understatement a little bit,” House Common Education Committee Chairman Dick Lowe (R) said. “We’re going to find out what the law says we do. We’re not going to try to make law or devise plans or anything like that. We’re going to find out what are the appropriate steps….We’re going to do the right thing.”
Senate Education Chair Adam Pugh (R): “The reports coming out of Thursday’s Board of Education meeting raise a number of questions. This is a situation that warrants further explanation and transparency. Additionally, Superintendent Walters and those making the allegations deserve to be heard and give their side of the story. I appreciate the efforts by everyone who are taking these allegations seriously. We’ll be watching closely as more information comes to light.”
