Oklahoma
Oklahoma parents and teachers sue to stop top education official’s classroom Bible mandate – WTOP News
OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) — A group of Oklahoma parents of public school students, teachers and ministers filed a lawsuit Thursday…
OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) — A group of Oklahoma parents of public school students, teachers and ministers filed a lawsuit Thursday seeking to stop the state’s top education official from forcing schools to incorporate the Bible into lesson plans for students in grades 5 through 12.
The lawsuit filed with the Oklahoma Supreme Court also asks the court to stop Republican State Superintendent Ryan Walters from spending $3 million to purchase Bibles in support of his mandate.
The suit alleges that the mandate violates the Oklahoma Constitution because it involves spending public money to support religion and favors one religion over another by requiring the use of a Protestant version of the Bible. It also alleges that Walters and the state Board of Education don’t have the authority to require the use of instructional materials.
“As parents, my husband and I have sole responsibility to decide how and when our children learn about the Bible and religious teachings,” plaintiff Erika Wright, the founder of the Oklahoma Rural Schools Coalition and parent of two school-aged children, said in a statement. “It is not the role of any politician or public school official to intervene in these personal matters.”
The plaintiffs are represented by several civil rights groups, including the Oklahoma chapter of the American Civil Liberties Union, the Freedom From Religion Foundation, Americans United for Separation of Church and State, and the Oklahoma Appleseed Center for Law & Justice.
The suit also notes that the initial “request for proposal” released by the State Department of Education to purchase the Bibles appears to have been carefully tailored to match Bibles endorsed by former President Donald Trump that sell for $59.99 each. The RFP was later amended at the request of state purchasing officials.
It is the second lawsuit filed in Oklahoma seeking to challenge Walters’ mandate. Another lawsuit filed in June by a Locust Grove man currently is pending in Mayes County.
Walters said in a statement posted to his account on X that he will “never back down to the woke mob.”
“The simple fact is that understanding how the Bible has impacted our nation, in its proper historical context, was the norm in America until the 1960s and its removal has coincided with a precipitous decline in American schools,” Walters wrote.
Walters, a former public school teacher elected 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.
Copyright
© 2024 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, written or redistributed.
NORMAN — Oklahoma freshman defensive lineman David Stone was upgraded to active on the Southeastern Conference’s Thursday night availability report.
Stone had been listed as probable on the Wednesday availability report ahead of OU’s home game against South Carolina. His name was not listed Thursday.
Receiver Deion Burks’ status remained as questionable, while running back Sam Franklin and tight end Kade McIntyre were downgraded from questionable as doubtful. Burks, despite having missed two-and-a-half games, leads the Sooners in every receiving category with 26 catches for 201 yards and three touchdowns.
If Burks plays Saturday, it will be his first appearance since he exited the Sooners’ 25-15 loss to No. 7 Tennessee on Sept. 21. If he does not play, quarterback Michael Hawkins Jr. and/or Jackson Arnold will be without their top five targets as Jayden Gibson, Jalil Farooq, Nic Anderson and Andrel Anthony remain inactive with injuries of varying timelines.
Defensive backs Gentry Williams and Kendel Dolby and offensive lineman Geirean Hatchett remain inactive.
The Gamecocks will be without receiver Jared Brown, who caught eight passes for 103 yards in four games. He left the Sept. 14 LSU game at the half with an apparent lower-body injury and returned against Ole Miss on Oct. 5 but left early and has not appeared since.
South Carolina offensive lineman Jakai Moore; defensive tackle DeAndre Jules; and defensive backs Jalewis Solomon and Kevin Hunter are out.
Any updates to the availability report must be made public before 10:15 a.m. Saturday, 90 minutes before kickoff.
A wreck near South MacArthur Boulevard and State Highway 152 is affecting traffic Thursday morning in southwest Oklahoma City.
Thursday, October 17th 2024, 7:14 am
By:
News 9
OKLAHOMA CITY –
A wreck involving a motorcycle is impacting traffic Thursday morning in southwest Oklahoma City, police say.
Oklahoma City Police said the wreck happened along South MacArthur Boulevard near State Highway 152.
A single lane in the northbound and southbound directions of South MacArthur Boulevard has been opened at this time. OCPD said the motorcyclist doe not have any life-threatening injuries.
The cause of the crash is not yet known.
Former Alabama players Charles Bediako and Alex Reese were on the same court for an NBA preseason game on Tuesday night, when the Oklahoma City Thunder defeated the Denver Nuggets 124-94.
On Wednesday, they were on the NBA transactions report together, too. Both were waived – Bediako by the Nuggets and Reese by the Thunder.
Reese signed with Oklahoma City on Sept. 27. Bediako joined Denver on Oct. 8.
Both players were in training camp on Exhibit 10 contracts.
An Exhibit 10 contract is a one-year, minimum-salary, non-guaranteed deal. If the player doesn’t make the NBA team’s roster, the contract includes a provision that will pay the player a bonus of up to $77,500 if he spends at least 60 days with the team’s NBA Gatorade League affiliate.
The Thunder’s G League affiliate is the Oklahoma City Blue. The Nuggets’ G League affiliate is the Grand Rapids Gold.
Reese and Bediako were not teammates with the Crimson Tide. A former Pelham High School standout, Reese played for Alabama in four seasons — from 2017-18 through 2020-21. Bediako played for the Tide in 2021-22 and 2022-23.
Reese had a season off after Alabama before averaging 23.7 points in the Luxembourg Basketball League in the 2022-23 campaign.
Last season, the 6-foot-9 forward averaged 11.5 points, 4.7 rebounds and 1.2 blocked shots in 43 games with the Rip City Remix of the NBA G League.
Reese averaged 7.6 points per game playing for the Portland Trail Blazers’ entry in the NBA 2K24 Summer League in Las Vegas in July.
Reese played in three of the Thunder’s four preseason games. He had seven points, six rebounds, three assists, one steal and one blocked shot.
Bediako averaged 5.5 points and 5.1 rebounds in 17 games for the Austin Spurs in the NBA G League last season.
The 7-0 center averaged 3.7 points and 2.3 rebounds for the Orlando Magic in the NBA 2K24 Summer League.
Bediako got 51 seconds of court time in Tuesday night’s game for his only preseason action.
Mark Inabinett is a sports reporter for Alabama Media Group. Follow him on Twitter at @AMarkG1.
Dodgers bullpen shows their 'pitch each other up' culture at critical Game 4 moment
Hizbollah warns of escalation in Israel conflict after Yahya Sinwar killing
What is Ireland’s Occupied Territories Bill and could it be revived?
Alabama executes man who asked to be put to death – as Texas judge halts another execution
Mastermind of 'Varsity Blues' college admission scandal Rick Singer breaks silence in first interview
Colorado Rockies game no. 116 thread: Zac Gallen vs José Ureña
See it: Tesla crashes into Columbus convention center at 70 mph
Fox News Politics: Georgia the whole day through
Death of missing Oregon girl found in stream ruled homicide
At least 2 dead as tornadoes hit Alabama, damage homes across Southeast
What is Ireland’s Occupied Territories Bill and could it be revived?
Alabama executes man who asked to be put to death – as Texas judge halts another execution
Video: Harris Slams Trump for Calling Jan. 6 a ‘Day of Love’
Walz says 90-year-old mom lives off social security check during North Carolina rally
Texas state judge orders pause for controversial ‘shaken baby’ execution
-
Entertainment1 week agoHold my beer can: Museum says a worker thought unique art installation was trash
-
Entertainment1 week ago'The Office' star Jenna Fischer reveals private breast cancer battle: 'I am cancer free'
-
/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/25673932/462754179_560996103109958_6880455562272353471_n.jpg "Meta suggests AI Northern Lights pics are as good as the real thing")
Technology6 days agoMeta suggests AI Northern Lights pics are as good as the real thing
-
Technology1 week agoScammers exploit grief with fake funeral streaming on Facebook
-
Lifestyle5 days agoIs the free speech debate dead? Plus, the devil! : It's Been a Minute
-
Technology4 days agoThis 3D-printed Texas hotel is shaking up the construction industry
-
Lifestyle4 days agoHow one Afro-Colombian community honors their ancestry
-
Business2 days ago10 million pounds of meat and poultry recalled from Trader Joe's and others in latest listeria outbreak