**Oklahoma's Education Superintendent Mandates Viewing of Religious Freedom and Patriotism Video**

Oklahoma's Education Superintendent Ryan Walters has initiated a new policy requiring all public school students in the state to watch his recent video announcement about the creation of a Department of Religious Freedom and Patriotism. Walters, a Republican elected in 2022, emailed school superintendents statewide on Thursday to inform them of this new directive. In his communication, he insisted that the video be shown to every enrolled student and also be sent to their parents.

In the video, Walters claims that religious liberty has been under attack and that patriotism has faced ridicule from what he described as "woke teachers unions." He then offers a prayer for the leaders of the United States, specifically mentioning former President Donald Trump, although he clarifies that students are not required to join in the prayer. The new department, according to Walters, will "oversee the investigation of abuses to individual religious freedom or displays of patriotism."

Edmond and Bixby school districts, two of the largest districts in the state, have openly stated that they do not plan to show the video to their students. Meanwhile, the Oklahoma City district is still in the process of making a decision, and a spokesperson for the Tulsa district did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

The mandate from Walters has drawn criticism from various quarters, including state Attorney General Gentner Drummond's office, which issued a statement asserting that Walters has no legal authority to enforce such a directive. The statement highlighted that the edict also infringes on parents' rights, local control, and individual religious freedoms.

This is not the first time Walters has attracted controversy. He is currently facing two lawsuits related to his June directive that schools include the Bible in lesson plans for students from fifth through twelfth grade. Some districts have already expressed their intention to ignore this mandate. One of the lawsuits alleges that the State Department of Education's initial request for proposal to purchase the Bibles was tailored to favor "God Bless the USA" Bibles, endorsed by President-elect Donald Trump and priced at $59.99 each. The proposal was later revised following input from state purchasing officials.

The Associated Press previously reported that these Bibles, which were printed in China, cost less than $3 each to produce, despite Trump's criticisms of China’s trade practices. Walters recently announced the purchase of over 500 "God Bless the USA Bibles" for approximately $25,000 to be used in Advanced Placement government classes, with the Bibles expected to arrive in the coming weeks.

Walters' campaign platform prominently featured issues such as opposing "woke ideology," removing certain books from school libraries, and targeting what he described as "radical leftists" in education.