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Oklahoma teachers were told to use the Bible. There’s resistance from schools as students return

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Oklahoma teachers were told to use the Bible. There’s resistance from schools as students return


Oklahoma’s Bixby school district has lots to show off for a fast-growing Tulsa suburb: a state-of-the-art new high school set to open by 2025, a new ninth grade gymnasium and plans for a $12 million upgrade to a football complex that already rivals that of many small colleges.

But, what the district does not have as students returned this week is a Bible in every classroom — despite a statewide mandate from Oklahoma’s education chief to incorporate Bible lessons and promises of repercussions for those that don’t comply. Other large school districts have also publicly indicated they aren’t making changes either.

The resistance follows a summer order that propelled Oklahoma to the center of a growing push by conservatives to give religion a bigger role in public schools across the U.S. Still, the fight may be far from over while other states, including neighboring Texas, are seeing Republicans advance similar efforts to incorporate the Bible into classrooms.

“If there is no curricular standard that ties with that particular classroom, what would be the purpose of a Bible if not for pure indoctrination?” said Bixby Superintendent Rob Miller, a former Marine Corps artilleryman whose office walls are adorned with medals from some of the 18 marathons he’s run and a sign that reads: “Positive Vibes Only.”

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Miller said it’s not uncommon to see students carrying a Bible or praying during a moment of silence at the start of each school day. Two copies of the Bible are available for checkout in the high school library’s reference section, along with a book titled “The History of the Bible” that includes maps and other historical details about the holy lands featured in scripture.

But he said a Bible simply doesn’t make sense for a seventh grade math classroom or a high school chemistry class.

“As a Christian myself, I am a little offended by diminishing the word of God to a mere classroom prop,” he said.

It is unclear how many, if any, Oklahoma school districts are resuming schools this month with a Bible in every classroom. A spokesperson for the state education department, Dan Isett, said the mandate is not optional and that the superintendent has “a wide range of tools to deal with rogue districts” that do not comply.

Under the mandate, Oklahoma schools must incorporate the Bible into lesson plans for all public school students in grades five through 12 in Oklahoma.

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School districts also have been offered guidance from law firms that represent them and the state’s largest teachers union, the Oklahoma Education Association, that the superintendent doesn’t have the unilateral authority to issue such a requirement and that the edict is unenforceable.

The decision by many Oklahoma school districts to disregard state Superintendent Ryan Walters’ directive didn’t sit well with the first-term Republican, who chastised those districts at the start of a recent board meeting.

“These are the districts that want pornography in front of kids under the name of inclusivity, but don’t want the historical context of the Bible,” Walters said, referring to a failed effort by his education department to force a local district to remove the books “The Kite Runner” and “The Glass Castle” from library shelves because of sexual content.

“It’s outrageous. We will not allow it. Just because they don’t like it, just because they’re offended by it, just because they don’t want to do it doesn’t mean that they won’t do it. They will be held accountable.”

The directive from Walters is the latest salvo in an effort by conservative-led states to target public schools: Louisiana has required them to post the Ten Commandments in classrooms, while others are under pressure to teach the Bible and ban books and lessons about race, sexual orientation and gender identity. Earlier this summer the Oklahoma Supreme Court blocked an attempt by the state to have the first publicly funded religious charter school in the country.

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Walters, himself a former public school teacher who was elected to his post in 2022, ran on a platform of fighting “woke ideology,” banning books from school libraries and getting rid of “radical leftists” who he claims are indoctrinating children in classrooms.

Among his Republican colleagues in the Legislature, patience with Walters appears to be wearing thin. State Rep. Mark McBride, a Republican from Moore who chairs the subcommittee that funds public schools, earlier this month sought an investigation into Walters over what McBride says are failures by the department to comply with legislative directives on funding and provide requested documents on expenditures. More than two dozen GOP House members signed on to McBride’s request, prompting Speaker of the House Charles McCall to request an independent investigation of the education department.

For his part, Walters dismissed the inquiry as a “political attack” from House leaders and hinted toward the 2026 governor’s election, where both McCall and Walters have been mentioned as possible candidates for the seat being vacated by term-limited Republican Gov. Kevin Stitt.

Grant Sullivan, who owns Scott’s Hamburgers in downtown Bixby and delivers a sermon every Sunday at a small church in the nearby town of Morris, said he questions whether the Bible mandate is a good idea.

“Have we thought this through?” asked Sullivan, who has a master’s degree in theology from Oklahoma Christian University and two children in Bixby schools. “What if you happen to have an atheistic teacher? Are they going to teach it in a way that may be more problematic than helpful?

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“It just feels like that’s for the home and the church is how I feel about that.”



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Oklahoma judge allows former death row prisoner to be released on bond while awaiting retrial

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Oklahoma judge allows former death row prisoner to be released on bond while awaiting retrial


An Oklahoma judge on Thursday allowed former death row prisoner Richard Glossip to be released on bond while awaiting retrial over a 1997 killing that put him on the brink of execution three separate times.

The decision clears the way for Glossip, 63, to leave a lockup for the first time since his arrest nearly 30 years ago. Last year, the U.S. Supreme Court threw out his conviction, and his longstanding claims of innocence have drawn support from Kim Kardashian and other prominent figures.

READ MORE: Supreme Court throws out Oklahoma man Richard Glossip’s murder conviction and death sentence

Judge Natalie Mai issued an order setting bond at $500,000. Glossip must wear an electronic monitoring device and will not be allowed to travel outside Oklahoma. He also must not contact any witnesses in the case, or consume any drugs or alcohol.

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It was unclear Thursday when Glossip would be released. He will have to post only 10%, or $50,000, and the process could take two or three days, said his attorney Donald Knight.

Knight also suggested Glossip is counting on contributions to raise the money.

“Mr. Glossip has many supporters and we are hopeful those supporters can afford the bail,” Knight said.

Protestors and family members embrace after hearing the news of Governor Mary Fallin issuing a stay for death row inmate Richard Glossip outside the Oklahoma State Penitentiary in McAlester, Oklahoma, September 30, 2015. Oklahoma Governor Mary Fallin on Wednesday granted inmate Richard Glossip a 37-day stay of execution to give the state time to address whether its execution protocols comply with procedures approved by the federal court. Glossip, 52, was found guilty of arranging the 1997 murder of Barry Van Treese, the owner of an Oklahoma City motel that Glossip was managing. Photo by Nick Oxford/Reuters.

Glossip had been sentenced to death over the 1997 killing in Oklahoma City of his former boss, motel owner Barry Van Treese, in what prosecutors have alleged was a murder-for-hire scheme.

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The Supreme Court ruled last year that prosecutors’ decision to allow a key witness to give testimony they knew to be false violated Glossip’s constitutional right to a fair trial.

Glossip has remained behind bars after Oklahoma Attorney General Gentner Drummond announced the state would seek to retry him on a murder charge but not pursue the death penalty again.

“The court fully expects that the state will rigorously prosecute its case going forward and the defense will provide robust representation for Glossip,” the judge wrote in the order. “The court hopes that a new trial, free of error, will provided all interested parties and the citizens of Oklahoma, the closure they deserve.”

During his time on death row, courts in Oklahoma set nine different execution dates for Glossip, and he came so close to being put to death that he ate three separate last meals. In 2015, he was even held in a cell next to Oklahoma’s execution chamber, waiting to be strapped to a gurney and die by lethal injection.

But the scheduled time for his execution came and went. Behind the walls of the Oklahoma State Penitentiary, prison officials were scrambling after learning one of the lethal drugs they received to carry out the procedure didn’t match the execution protocols. The drug mix-up ultimately led to a nearly seven-year moratorium on executions in Oklahoma.

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“Mr. Glossip now has the chance to taste freedom while his defense team continues to pursue justice on his behalf against a system that the United States Supreme Court has found to be guilty of serious misconduct by state prosecutors,” Knight said.

Glossip’s case attracted international attention after actress Susan Sarandon — who won an Academy Award for her portrayal of death penalty opponent Sister Helen Prejean’s fight to save a man on Louisiana’s death row in the 1995 movie “Dead Man Walking” — took up his cause in real life. Glossip’s case also was featured in the 2017 documentary film titled “Killing Richard Glossip.”

“Both Richard and I are grateful for the court’s decision,” Glossip’s wife, Lea, said in a text to The Associated Press. “We have been praying for this day.”

A free press is a cornerstone of a healthy democracy.

Support trusted journalism and civil dialogue.

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Oklahoma teacher turns PB&J’s into a lifeline for students

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Oklahoma teacher turns PB&J’s into a lifeline for students


OKLAHOMA CITY –

Teaching is easily one of the most challenging and rewarding professions anywhere. And while most deserve to be recognized, when we heard about Deanne Strothers, we had to come meet her.

The Harding Charter Prep teacher has been teaching life through math for 30 years.

“My goal is to make them understand that they can get through tough stuff,” said Strothers.

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But seven years ago, there was some tough stuff put on her plate that was really tough to swallow.

“I had kids that would come in, and they didn’t have any. They didn’t have a lunch card, so they couldn’t eat,” said Strothers.

She recalls one student in particular, at a previous school.

“She came in, and she’s like, I’m hungry,” said Strothers.

After giving the student the peanut butter and jelly sandwich she had brought for lunch, Strothers made a decision: as long as she was teaching, no child would go hungry.

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“And so, I’m like, I’ve got to get something that is universal, and we landed on peanut butter and jelly,” said Strothers.

So, for the past seven years, each night she and her husband have prepared peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, totaling over 30,000 sandwiches.

It’s always grape jelly, you don’t have to be in any of her classes and the sandwiches are typically gone before 9 a.m.

“I would rather have a well-fed child than a child sitting here, not having the capability to really pay attention because they are hungry,” said Strothers.

As word spread of her personal feeding program, it prompted a visit from Oklahoma’s Secretary of Education, Dan Hamlin, who didn’t come empty-handed.

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“Well, we wanted to give you a check for supplies,” said Hamlin.

“I think it’s incredibly important that we recognize the great work that our teachers are doing across the state,” said Hamlin.

“I’ll keep doing this as long as I am teaching,” said Strothers.

As expected, Mrs. Strothers says she will use the check for more peanut butter and jelly sandwiches. The $250.00 donation will paY for about one semester of sandwiches.

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Sponsored Content: The Spotlight – Winter Park

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Sponsored Content: The Spotlight – Winter Park


Today on the Spotlight, our crew explored why Winter Park Resort is so much more than a snowy winter destination. Nestled in Colorado’s breathtaking Fraser Valley along the Continental Divide, this mountain escape transforms into an outdoor paradise once the snow melts—offering cool temperatures, endless sunshine, and adventures for every kind of traveler.

Just 70 minutes from Denver and one of the closest major mountain resorts to Denver International Airport, Winter Park makes it easy to trade city life for alpine views. Surrounded by towering 13,000 and 14,000-foot peaks, the resort delivers postcard-worthy scenery with summer temperatures that rarely climb above 80 degrees. Add in more than 300 days of sunshine each year, and it’s easy to see why so many visitors are discovering Winter Park as a perfect warm-weather getaway.

The resort village itself offers plenty of charm, with lodging, dining, shopping, and activities all conveniently located in one walkable area. Whether you’re looking for high-energy thrills or a laid-back mountain retreat, there’s no shortage of ways to enjoy the outdoors.

One of the most popular summer attractions is the scenic gondola ride, which carries guests up to 10,700 feet for unforgettable panoramic views of the Continental Divide, colorful wildflowers, and towering aspen groves. Adventure seekers can race down Colorado’s longest alpine slide or hit the trails to explore more than 3,000 acres of scenic hiking terrain. For those wanting to relax, Sunspot Mountain Lodge offers mountaintop dining with incredible views.

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As the sun begins to set, the mountain comes alive with happy hour gatherings and live music on Friday and Saturday evenings, creating the perfect atmosphere to unwind after a day of adventure.

Winter Park is also home to the legendary Trestle Bike Park, one of the top downhill mountain biking destinations in the country. Opening Memorial Weekend, the park features more than 40 miles of gravity-fed downhill trails designed for riders of all skill levels. Advanced bikers can tackle technical terrain, while beginners can ease into the sport with mellow trails, rental gear, and lessons available onsite. Visitors who prefer a more relaxed ride can explore the area with e-bike rentals and guided mountain tours.

Beyond the resort, Winter Park serves as an ideal base camp for exploring some of Colorado’s most iconic outdoor destinations. The quieter west entrance of Rocky Mountain National Park is only about 35 minutes away, offering fewer crowds and incredible opportunities to spot wildlife like moose and elk.

And for travelers wanting to spend time on the water, Grand Lake, Lake Granby, and Shadow Mountain Lake are all within about an hour of the resort, offering boating, fishing, paddling, and even more mountain recreation opportunities.

From scenic gondola rides and alpine slides to mountain biking, hiking, lakeside escapes, and national park adventures, Winter Park truly lives up to its reputation as Colorado’s gateway to summer fun. Visitors looking to plan their next mountain getaway can find lodging deals, trailside stays, and a full calendar of summer events at Winter Park Resort.

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