Ryan Walters, Oklahoma's superintendent of public instruction, vowed to fight back against the "radical myth" of separation of church and state.
Walters wrote on X: "We will bring God and prayer back in schools in Oklahoma, and fight back against the radical myth of separation of church and state."
Walters linked to a story on the News on 6 website, which said he detailed similar comments had made during an appearance at the Pray Vote Stand Summit in Washington.
He is quoted in the story as saying: "The Supreme Court has been wrong. There is no separation of church and state in the Constitution or Declaration of Independence. It doesn't exist."
Walters has made it his mission to put a stop to "woke ideology" in Oklahoma's public school system since he took office in January.
His approach is likely a preview of what could be coming in other Republican-led states, NBC News reported.
Walters opposed critical race theory and drew criticism this summer for saying people shouldn't be judged as racist because of their skin color. He has called the teachers' union a "terrorist organization," referred to journalists as a "true enemy of taxpayers," pushed for prayer in public schools, adopted regulations prohibiting school libraries from circulating books with "sexualized content" and requiring educators to tell parents if their child changes their gender identity, and claimed that Tulsa Public Schools is receiving money from the Chinese government.
Jeffrey Rodack ✉
Jeffrey Rodack, who has nearly a half century in news as a senior editor and city editor for national and local publications, has covered politics for Newsmax for nearly seven years.
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