Oklahoma
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.”
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.
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.
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?
“It just feels like that’s for the home and the church is how I feel about that.”
OKLA. — Oklahoma Attorney General Gentner Drummond is seeking to join a federal court fight over the Environmental Protection Agency’s move to roll back a key climate change finding that has underpinned vehicle emissions regulations for more than a decade.
Drummond filed a motion to intervene with the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit on March 9, 2026, backing the Trump administration’s efforts to eliminate what his office called “radical regulations of carbon emissions.”
The dispute centers on the EPA’s decision to rescind the 2009 Greenhouse Gas Endangerment Finding.
In a Final Rule issued earlier this year, the EPA concluded it lacked statutory authority to establish the Endangerment Finding, which had been used to justify vehicle emission restrictions under the Clean Air Act.
Drummond joined a coalition of 24 attorneys general seeking to support the EPA after “a gaggle of special-interest groups” petitioned the D.C. Circuit to review the Final Rule.
“Thankfully, the Trump Administration is correcting the outrageous overreach that was the hallmark of the Obama-Biden Administration,” Drummond said. “Oklahoma’s energy industry, and that of our nation, should not be hobbled by unnecessary regulations born from a radical climate agenda. A panoply of would-be vehicle emission standards would be disastrous for a robust oil and gas industry, adversely impact our economy, hurt the reliability of our electrical grids and undermine national security.”
Drummond’s office said that since taking office he has filed more than 25 legal actions opposing environmental regulations, including tailpipe emission standards and efforts aimed at eliminating gas-powered vehicles.
In addition to Oklahoma, the states joining the motion to intervene are Alabama, Alaska, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Idaho, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, North Dakota, Ohio, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, West Virginia and Wyoming.
Oklahoma adds explosive 4-star commit on offense appeared first on ClutchPoints. Add ClutchPoints as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
The 2026 college football season is still months away from kicking off, but coaches are already hitting the College football Recruiting trail for players in the class of 2027. Oklahoma has already landed some talented players.
Advertisement
Now, they have added another solid player, according to Hayes Fawcett of On3.
Athlete Greydon Howell, rated as a four-star recruit by Rivals, has committed to Oklahoma. Howell is from Broken Bow, Oklahoma, and chose to go to the Sooners over Oklahoma State, Miami, Penn State, Stanford, and Arkansas. He visited Oklahoma over the weekend, attending a recruiting event.
The 4-star recruit has been a dominant force at his high school in the sports landscape. He plays football, basketball, baseball, and track. This past season, he played quarterback for his team, passing for 2,817 yards with 27 scores, while adding 1,514 yards and 20 touchdowns on the ground. He is expected to play wide receiver for the Sooners.
Rivals ranks him as the 13th best athlete in the nation, and 425th overall. Still, other ranking services have him lower. 247Sports has Howell ranked as a three-star player and the 25th best athlete in the nation.
Advertisement
Regardless, it is another major signing for Brent Venables and the Sooners. They have 19 commitments so far, and have the number one-ranked class for 2027 according to 247Sports. They have been great at keeping in-state guys at Oklahoma. Kaeden Penny is the top player in the state for the class of 2027, and he is going to Oklahoma. Cooper Hackett is ranked third in the state and is also a future Sooner.
The Sooners open their 2026 campaign on September 5 against Utep.
Oklahoma Sooners land 4-star safety over Florida, Georgia
Oklahoma lands top tight end over Kentucky, Notre Dame
Take a tour of OG&E Coliseum ahead of the 2026 OSSAA basketball state tournament
The Oklahoman’s Jordan Davis takes you on a tour of the new home of the Oklahoma high school basketball state tournament, OG&E Coliseum.
The Oklahoma Secondary School Activities Association has released the brackets for Classes 6A-2A state basketball tournaments which run March 10-14.
Games will be played at OG&E Coliseum, Lloyd Noble Center, Carl Albert and Yukon.
All championship game will be played at OG&E Coliseum with Class 6A, 4A boys and girls on Friday and the others on Saturday.
Action begins Tuesday with Class 4A quarterfinals at OG&E Coliseum.
Here is the full schedule.
Order book on Oklahoma HS basketball at ‘The Big House’
Class 6A Boys
Wednesday’s Games
At Lloyd Noble Center
Norman vs. Tulsa Union, 4:30 p.m.
Owasso vs. Southmoore, 6 p.m.
Putnam North vs. Piedmont, 7:30 p.m.
Mustang vs. Edmond Santa Fe, 9 p.m.
Thursday’s Games
At Carl Albert
Norman-Tulsa Union winner vs. Owasso-Southmoore winner, 5:30 p.m.
Mustang-Edmond Santa Fe winner vs. Putnam North-Piedmont winner, 7 p.m.
Friday’s Game
At OG&E Coliseum
Championship, 6 p.m.
Class 6A Girls
Wednesday’s Games
At Lloyd Noble Center
Putnam North vs. Edmond North, 9 a.m.
Choctaw vs. Bixby, 10:30 a.m.
Mustang vs. Bartlesville, Noon
Muskogee vs. Westmoore, 1:30 p.m.
Thursday’s Games
At Carl Albert
Mustang-Bartlesville winner vs. Muskogee-Westmoore winner, 1 p.m.
Choctaw-Bixby winner vs. Putnam North-Edmond North, 2:30 p.m.
Friday’s Game
At OG&E Coliseum
Championship, 1 p.m.
Class 5A Boys
Thursday’s Games
At Lloyd Noble Center
Tulsa Booker T. Washington vs. Carl Albert, 4:30 p.m.
Del City vs. Collinsville, 6 p.m.
Newcastle vs. Tulsa East Central, 7:30 p.m.
Tulsa Memorial vs. Midwest City, 9 p.m.
Friday’s Games
At Lloyd Noble Center
Del City-Collinsville winner vs. Tulsa Booker T. Washington-Carl Albert winner, 2 p.m.
Newcastle-Tulsa East Central winner vs. Tulsa Memorial-Midwest City winner, 5 p.m.
Saturday’s Game
At OG&E Coliseum
Championship, 6:45 p.m.
Class 5A Girls
Thursday’s Games
At Lloyd Noble Center
Newcastle vs. Glenpool, 9 a.m.
Tulsa Booker T. Washington vs. Bishop McGuinness, 10:30 a.m.
Del City vs. Shawnee, Noon
Tulsa East Central vs. Carl Albert, 1:30 p.m.
Friday’s Games
At Lloyd Noble Center
Del City-Shawnee winner vs. Tulsa East Central-Carl Albert winner, 11 a.m.
Newcastle-Glenpool winner vs. Tulsa Booker T. Washington-Bishop McGuinness winner, 12:30 p.m.
Saturday’s Game
At OG&E Coliseum
Championship, 1:30 p.m.
Class 4A Boys
Tuesday’s Games
At OG&E Coliseum
Blanchard vs. Cascia Hall, 4:30 p.m.
North Rock Creek vs. Fort Gibson, 6 p.m.
Catoosa vs. Mount St. Mary, 7:30 p.m.
Douglass vs. Bethany, 9 p.m.
Thursday’s Games
At Yukon High School
Douglass-Bethany winner vs. Catoosa-Mount St. Mary winner, 1 p.m.
North Rock Creek-Fort Gibson winner vs. Blanchard-Cascia Hall winner, 3 p.m.
Friday’s Game
At OG&E Coliseum
Championship, 2:45 p.m.
Class 4A Girls
Tuesday’s Games
At OG&E Coliseum
McLoud vs. Harrah, 9 a.m.
Lincoln Christian vs. Kingfisher, 10:30 a.m.
Weatherford vs. Locust Grove, Noon
Douglass vs. Broken Bow, 1:30 p.m.
Thursday’s Games
At Yukon High School
Lincoln Christian-Kingfisher winner vs. McLoud-Harrah winner, 6 p.m.
Douglass-Broken Bow winner vs. Weatherford-Locust Grove, 8 p.m.
Friday’s Game
At OG&E Coliseum
Championship, 7:45 p.m.
Class 3A Boys
Wednesday’s Games
At OG&E Coliseum
Kingston vs. Wyandotte, 4:30 p.m.
Millwood vs. Community Christian, 6 p.m.
Eufaula vs. Roland, 7:30 p.m.
Heritage Hall vs. Rejoice Christian, 9 p.m.
Friday’s Games
At Lloyd Noble Center
Millwood-Community winner vs. Kingston-Wyandotte winner, 6:30 p.m.
Heritage Hall-Rejoice Christian winner vs. Eufaula-Roland, 8 p.m.
Saturday’s Game
At OG&E Coliseum
Championship, 5 p.m.
Class 3A Girls
Wednesday’s Games
At OG&E Coliseum
Washington vs. Metro Christian, 9 a.m.
Spiro vs. Alva/Freedom, 10:30 a.m.
Anadarko vs. Adair, Noon
Sequoyah Tahlequah vs. Millwood, 1:30 p.m.
Friday’s Games
At OG&E Coliseum
Washington-Metro Christian winner vs. Spiro-Alva winner, 10 a.m.
Sequoyah Tahlequah-Millwood winner vs. Anadarko-Adair winner, 11:30 a.m.
Saturday’s Game
At OG&E Coliseum
Championship, 10 a.m.
Class 2A Boys
Thursday’s Games
At OG&E Coliseum
Dale vs. Vanoss, 4:30 p.m.
Oklahoma Christian Academy vs. Latta, 6 p.m.
Fairland vs. Riverside, 7:30 p.m.
Hartshorne vs. Wewoka, 9 p.m.
Friday’s Games
At Yukon High School
Dale-Vanoss winner vs. OCA-Latta winner, 3 p.m.
Hartshorne-Wewoka winner vs. Fairland-Riverside winner, 5 p.m.
Saturday’s Game
At OG&E Coliseum
Championship, 8:30 p.m.
Class 2A Girls
Thursday’s Games
At OG&E Coliseum
Howe vs. Riverside, 9 a.m.
Hartshorne vs. Fairview, 10:30 a.m.
Vanoss vs. Dale, Noon
Latta vs. Merritt, 1:30 p.m.
Friday’s Games
At Yukon High School
Howe-Riverside winner vs. Hartshorne-Fairview winner, 10 a.m.
Vanoss-Dale winner vs. Latta-Merritt winner, Noon
Saturday’s Game
At OG&E Coliseum
Championship, 11:45 a.m.
Oklahoma AG Drummond backs Trump EPA bid to rescind 2009 greenhouse gas finding
Oil prices spike amid Iran war; Oregon gas remains above national average
Pennsylvania High School Girls Basketball 2026 Playoff Brackets, Schedule (PIAA) – March 10, 2026
Spring And Summer Concert Guide: 10 Can’t-Miss Shows In Rhode Island
Lulu Kesin of Greenville News wins writing awards for South Carolina basketball
Florida High School Football Rankings: Top 25 teams – Oct. 21
Cleary's 21 help Le Moyne down Central Connecticut State 69-64 in OT
How old is Bo Nix? What to know about Oregon quarterback ahead of 2024 NFL Draft
99th annual Pony Swim held in Virginia
Indiana Members Credit Union announced as new anchor tenant at Bottleworks District
China-linked birth tourism under scrutiny as GOP lawmakers press Trump admin for answers
What defence support could Ukraine offer Middle East states amid Iran war?
Warrants served in New Jersey, Pennsylvania as feds look into possible NYC terrorism
Video: Airports Struggle to Staff T.S.A. During Partial Government Shutdown
Before-and-after satellite imagery offers a rare look at damage inside Iran
-
Wisconsin1 week agoSetting sail on iceboats across a frozen lake in Wisconsin
-
Massachusetts7 days agoMassachusetts man awaits word from family in Iran after attacks
-
Maryland1 week agoAM showers Sunday in Maryland
-
Florida1 week agoFlorida man rescued after being stuck in shoulder-deep mud for days
-
Pennsylvania4 days agoPa. man found guilty of raping teen girl who he took to Mexico
-
News1 week ago2 Survivors Describe the Terror and Tragedy of the Tahoe Avalanche
-
Sports5 days agoKeith Olbermann under fire for calling Lou Holtz a ‘scumbag’ after legendary coach’s death
-
Virginia5 days agoGiants will hold 2026 training camp in West Virginia