Oklahoma’s newly appointed public schools superintendent announced Wednesday that he is withdrawing a requirement that schools must include Bibles in classrooms and integrate biblical teachings.
Superintendent Lindel Fields stated he has “no plans to distribute Bibles or a Biblical character education curriculum in classrooms.” The policy shift comes after the departure of former Superintendent Ryan Walters, who had championed the religious teachings mandate.
The original directive, issued last year by Walters, was intended for students in grades 5 through 12 and had sparked opposition from civil rights organizations. A coalition of parents, teachers, and religious leaders filed a lawsuit challenging the mandate, which remains pending before the Oklahoma Supreme Court.
Gov. Kevin Stitt selected Fields for the superintendent position after Walters stepped down last month to pursue opportunities in the private sector.
Tara Thompson, a spokeswoman for the state education department, explained that Fields believes decisions about whether biblical content should be in classrooms should rest with individual districts rather than being imposed by state mandate. Thompson also said that allocating taxpayer funds for Bible purchases does not represent the most effective use of public resources.
Numerous school districts throughout Oklahoma had refused to implement the Bible mandate.
Walters had announced plans in March to collaborate with country music artist Lee Greenwood on a donation campaign to supply Bibles to classrooms after a legislative committee rejected his $3 million funding request for the initiative.
Jacki Phelps, an attorney representing the Oklahoma State Department of Education, indicated she plans to inform the court about the agency’s decision to withdraw the mandate and will request dismissal of the pending lawsuit.
Classroom Bible Push
Before resigning, Walters purchased more than 500 Bibles for AP government classes as an initial step toward his goal of placing the religious text in every state classroom. Walters defended the purchases in a Nov. 14 statement, saying, “I will take every step possible to ensure Oklahoma students have the resources they need to fully understand American history.”
He said the Declaration of Independence, the U.S. Constitution, the Bill of Rights, and the Bible are foundational documents in the nation’s history.
“We are not going to change our history, and the Bible is a major part of that,” he stated. “Our kids have to understand the role the Bible played in influencing American history.”
Walters was elected in 2022 after campaigning against “woke” curricula and sexually explicit material in schools. Following his election, Walters implemented multiple mandates on public schools and developed new social studies standards for K through 12 students.
“It’s very clear that the radical left has driven the Bible out of the classroom, which leads to a lack of understanding of American history,” he said on Nov. 14, 2024. Two days later he announced the creation of a new Office of Religious Liberty and Patriotism at the Department of Education. He said the office would protect the constitutional rights of teachers and students, citing a case in Skiatook, where Bible quotes were removed from a classroom after a lawsuit.
Thompson, in her statement, added that the department intends to examine all of Walters’ directives, including a requirement that teacher applicants from California and New York complete an ideology exam, to determine whether additional policies should be rescinded.
“We need to review all of those mandates and provide clarity to schools moving forward,” she said.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
