Oklahoma
Ryan Walters announces signing bonuses for rural Oklahoma teachers, despite past controversy
The Oklahoma State Department of Education announced it will offer another round of signing bonuses to attract teachers to rural schools. Meanwhile, the agency is reportedly negotiating a settlement agreement with two teachers it paid previous bonuses to in error.
State Superintendent Ryan Walters said on Monday his agency will offer signing bonuses of $15,000 to $25,000 to secondary math and science teachers who agree to work in a public school in rural Oklahoma for the next school year.
A similar signing bonus program from the agency lured more than 500 certified educators back to Oklahoma schools last year, but it stirred significant controversy and attracted scrutiny from lawmakers when a few teachers were later told to return the money they had been paid.
“I am thrilled to continue bringing in highly qualified teachers to Oklahoma classrooms,” Walters said in a statement. “Oklahoma is a great place to live and work, and we are making it easier than ever for teachers to come to our great state and have an enormous impact on our young people.”
Eligible teachers cannot have taught in an Oklahoma public school in the 2023-24 school year. They must have a teaching certification for secondary math or science and be hired to teach in a rural school for the 2024-25 year.
The agency provided a list of 384 schools that fit the definition of a rural locale, according to criteria from the National Center for Education Statistics. One school on the list no longer exists, Sovereign Community School.
The Education Department called the program the “most successful teacher recruitment effort in state history.”
The agency awarded bonuses last year to a handful of teachers who didn’t meet the criteria and, months later, demanded they repay. Walters informed the state Legislature his agency also had mistakenly underpaid other recipients.
Two of the teachers who were told to repay their bonuses, Kay Bojorquez and Kristina Stadelman, sued the department and Walters in Oklahoma County District Court, alleging breach of contract and defamation.
Their attorney, Mark Hammons, said they have reached a tentative settlement with the Education Department and intend to finalize it this week.
Both teachers were approved for the program and received bonuses of $50,000 in October and November. In January, they received letters from the agency, informing them they never actually qualified and owed the full $50,000 back.
More than $20,000 of each bonus was withheld for taxes, and Bojorquez, of Osage County, and Stadelman, of Oklahoma County, had spent the rest of the money before the Education Department demanded they return it, according to their lawsuit.
Walters said the errant bonuses were the result of the teachers putting “misinformation” in their applications. That statement was defamatory, Bojorquez and Stadelman said. The teachers asked a judge to order Walters to pay them at least $75,000 each for defamation.
The Education Department and Walters have since countersued the teachers, asking for the full bonuses to be returned plus the cost of attorney fees. The agency said Bojorquez and Stadelman, by applying for and accepting the bonuses, represented that they hadn’t taught in an Oklahoma public school the previous year when, in fact, they had.
The two teachers said they truthfully reported their work history. They contend the situation was caused by the agency’s “own alleged negligence or malfeasance in giving such approval.”
“It would be financially impossible for the plaintiff to repay the signing bonus,” their lawsuit states.
Oklahoma Voice is part of States Newsroom, a nonprofit news network supported by grants and a coalition of donors as a 501c(3) public charity. Oklahoma Voice maintains editorial independence.
Oklahoma
Oklahoma high school tennis Classes 6A-4A boys state championship results
The 2026 Oklahoma high school boys tennis state championships are being played Friday and Saturday at Oklahoma City Tennis Center.
Here are the results:
Order book on Oklahoma HS basketball at ‘The Big House’
Oklahoma high school boys tennis scoreboard
At Oklahoma City Tennis Center
Class 6A Boys
NO. 1 SINGLES
First Round
Walker Nelson, Bixby, def. Jackson Abner, Piedmont, 6-0, 6-0
Keon Azadi, Norman, def. Finley Stone, Muskogee, 6-1, 6-2
Adolfo Andrade, Tulsa Union, def. Jett Sewell, Deer Creek, 6-0, 6-0
Krishna Bhadriraju, Jenks, def. Karson Vega, Mustang, 6-0, 6-1
Eli Lemley, Edmond Memorial, def. Pierce Durbin, Broken Arrow, 6-0, 6-0
Brandon Ionescu, Norman North, def. Ben Colburn, Edmond North, 6-3, 6-1
Lincoln Smith, Putnam City, def. Nick Henry, Owasso, 6-4, 6-2
TJ Shanahan, Bishop McGuinness, def. Jonathan Dunn, Edmond Santa Fe, 6-1, 6-0
NO. 2 SINGLES
First Round
Gavin Davis, Edmond Memorial, def. Kyle Tran, Broken Arrow, 6-1, 6-0
Jose Mendoza, Union, def. Haden Buie, Muskogee, 6-0, 6-2
Tyson Stuart, Owasso, def. Patrick Hopper, Norman, 6-1, 6-2
Braley Griffith, Bishop McGuinness, def. Sam Fair, Mustang, 6-2, 6-4
Tej Beniwal, Jenks, def. Max menne, Stillwater, 6-0, 6-0
Josh Booze, Norman North, def. Nathan Aller, Piedmont, 6-2, 6-4
Haaris Sattar, Deer Creek, def. Aaron Warmoth, Edmond Santa Fe, 3-6, 6-3, 7-5
Carter Henson, Bixby, def. Javen Sanner, Edmond North, 6-3, 6-3
NO. 1 DOUBLES
First Round
Bailey-S. Morrison, Edmond Memorial, def. Clink-Harrison, Jenks, 6-2, 6-3
Harkins-Thomas, Edmond North, def. Anderson-Harris, Mustang, 4-6, 6-2, 6-3
Amaya-Loeffler, Bishop McGuinness, def. Gonzalez-Lisle, Union, 6-2, 6-2
Torrence-Whitney, Bixby, def. Crawford-Lopez, Moore, 6-1, -2
Haymore-Yong, Edmond Santa Fe, def. Kistler-Szendrei, Norman, 6-3, 6-4
Dosev-McKee, Stillwater, def. Payne-Warren, Owasso, 6-3, 6-3
Webster-Mathis, Choctaw, def. Goncharov-Kim, Norman North, 4-6, 6-4, 6-5
Corbin-Palmer, Yukon, def. Colmenero-Covington, Bartlesville, 6-1, 6-3
NO. 2 DOUBLES
First Round
Bowling-D. Morrison, Edmond Memorial, def. Barnes-Lippe, Yukon, 6-1, 6-0
Darby-Nguyen, Union, def. Coleman-Gary, Owasso, 6-1, 6-3
Remy-Stevenson, Bixby, def. O’Neill-Phillips, Ponca City, 6-3, 6-2
Henness-Hua, Broken Arrow, def. Bruce-Li, Stillwater, 6-1, 6-1
V. Beniwal-Schissel, Jenks, def. Hall-Jackson, Norman North, 5-7, 6-4, 6-2
Majors-Phan, Edmond North, def. Hollenbeck-Hollenbeck, Choctaw, 6-7(4), 6-2, 6-4
Chiang-Cumpton, Edmond Santa Fe, def. Burchett-Proctor, Bartlesville, 6-2, 6-1
Dell-Osso-J. Griffith, Bishop McGuinness, def. Calderwood-Hennessee, Westmoore, 6-0, 6-1
Class 5A Boys
NO. 1 SINGLES
First Round
Dutch Prather, Tulsa Bishop Kelley, def. Carter Schollenbarger, Shawnee, 6-0, 6-0
Tai Nguyen, Pryor, def. Caleb Whaley, McAlester, 6-0, 6-0
Ethan Luong, Carl Albert, def. Jan Kosik, Grove, 6-0, 6-0
Hayden Shriner, Casady, def. Gaius Sanchez, Durant, 6-2, 6-0
JP Dillon, Crossings Christian, def. Luke Wickham, Claremore, 6-0, 6-0
River Tate, Duncan, def. Rawley Winsett, Altus, 6-0, 6-0
Christian Huntley, Metro Christian, def. Roshan Kunapuli, Tulsa BTW, 6-1, 6-2
Benjamin Kendrick, Cascia Hall, def. Eli Mooney, Classen, 6-0, 6-1
NO. 2 SINGLES
First Round
Ashton Haynes, Metro Christian, def. Jesse Gonzales, Midwest City, 6-0, 6-0
Grant Alexander, Grove, def. William Downey, Lawton, 6-1, 6-3
Liam Allen, Bishop Kelley, def. Will Cooper, McAlester, 6-0, 6-0
Gavin Cobble, Duncan, def. Deacon Fannin, Pryor, 6-3, 6-2
Joel Lauw, Crossings Christian, def. Brandon Rogers, Carl Albert, 6-4, 6-2
Caleb Strickland, Altus, def. Mackinle Sisovsky, Claremore, 6-4, 6-3
Aryan Singh, Casady, def. Samuel Frederick, Lawton MacArthur, 6-0, 6-0
Gavin Warren, Cascia Hall, def. Truman White, Tulsa BTW, 6-1, 6-0
NO. 1 DOUBLES
First Round
G. Dillon-Shapard, Crossings Christian, def. Blackbird-Havens, Tahlequah, 6-0, 6-1
Koehn-Ollison, Classen, def. Cole-Comstock, Shawnee, 6-1, 6-4
Neal-T. Prather, Bishop Kelley, def. Johnstone-Landis, Casady, 6-4, 6-0
Hardy-McCann, Metro Christian, def. Hall-Hester, McAlester, 6-1, 6-0
Reineke-Zeiders, Heritage Hall, def. Schartz-Karleskint, Grove, 6-1, 6-4
Mayer-Olmstead, Guthrie, def. Rodgers-Stallings, Cascia Hall, 6-1, 6-4
Crimmins-Davis, Duncan, def. Hays-Martin, Pryor, 6-2, 6-0
Reese-Sparks, Carl Albert, def. Arnold-Miller, Durant, 6-1, 6-0
NO. 2 DOUBLES
First Round
Baker-Hays, Crossings Christian, def. Bowman-Jones, Classen, 6-1, 6-1
Harms-Jones, Altus, def. Hurst-Joice, Pryor, 2-6, 6-2, 7-5
Brooks-DeWitt, Bishop Kelley, def. Edberg-Shelton, Guthrie, 6-3, 6-2
Blasdel-Smith, Heritage Hall, def. Baker-Brinkley, Tahlequah, 6-1, 6-2
Gilliam-Oudit, Carl Albert, def. Garcia-Preston, Durant, 6-1, 6-0
Hood-McCoy, Cascia Hall, def. Farr-Mitchell, Tulsa BTW, 6-4, 6-3
Mois-Pitale, Casady, def. Lander-Snedegar, Metro Christian, 6-4, 5-7, 7-6(4)
Churchman-Mitchell, Duncan, Newsom-Timmons, Shawnee, 6-2, 4-6, 6-4
Class 4A Boys
NO. 1 SINGLES
First Round
Max Beard, Regent Prep, def. Jacob Holloway, Byng, 6-0, 6-0
Quinn Brewer, Elk City, def. Waylon Smith, Ardmore, 6-2, 6-4
Quinn Steenson, Riverfield, def. Jayden Ashton, Wagoner, 6-0, 6-2
Ian Ward, Harding Charter, def. Gus Byrd, Ada, 6-1, 6-1
Henry Corbin, The Academy, def. Truman Adams, Oklahoma Christian Aca., 6-0, 6-0
Cruz Palomino, Holland Hall, def. Landon Brown, Woodward, 6-0, 6-0
William Berry, Douglass, def. Ethan Ryder, Lincoln Christian, 6-0, 6-1
Trendon Ayers, Oklahoma Christian School, def. Jeff Webster, Henryetta, 6-0, 6-0
NO. 2 SINGLES
First Round
Joe Dvorak, Ardmore, def. CJ Trevino, Rejoice Christian, 6-0, 6-0
Cedar Thomas, Ada, def. Caleb Darr, Mount St. Mary, 6-3, 6-1
Brayden Tyrrell, OCS, def. Andreas Markey, Harding Charter, 6-4, 6-2
Andy Robbins, The Academy, def. Carter Lillie, Oklahoma Bibble, 6-1, 6-0
Joel Ferguson, OCA, def. Cade Johnson, Regent Prep, 6-2, 6-0
Cole Patterson, Riverfield, def. Chase Jobe, Lincoln Christian, 6-3, 6-2
Brady Henry, Holland Hall, def. Kael Humphries, Wagoner, 6-1, 6-0
Kade Duncan, Elk City, def. Adam Hensley, Byng, 6-2, 7-5
NO. 1 DOUBLES
First Round
Harrison-Ware, Byng, def. Allen-Ward, Mount St. Mary, 6-0, 6-1
Lemonds-Moore, Wagoner, def. Bevans-Smith, Ardmore, 6-3, 6-3
Nelson-Wagner, Lincoln Christian, def. Schneidau-Watson, Regent Prep, 6-3, 6-1
Brewer-Coslow, Elk City, def. Hobbs-Holbrook, OCS, 6-3, 6-1
Aaronson-Vaidya, Holland Hall, def. Chesher-Martin, Riverfield, 6-2, 6-2
Corbin-Morris, The Academy, def. Kommer-Mullins, Tecumseh, 6-2, 6-0
Green-Maness, Pauls Valley, def. Marguier-Matlock, Henryetta, 7-5, 6-3
Jacobs-Moon, Ada, def. Redman-Smith, OCA, 6-1, 6-0
NO. 2 DOUBLES
First Round
Bristow-Herman, Holland Hall, def. Mason-McCullough, Tecumseh, 6-1, 6-0
Corbin-Gund, Riverfield, def. Paine-Lopez, Victory Christian, 6-3, 6-2
Gridley-Morris, The Academy, def. Braun-Kolker, Mount St. Mary, 6-2, 6-2
Anderson-Cody, Ada, def. Ferguson-Milner, OCA, 6-4, 6-0
Johnston-Thompson, Lincoln Christian, def. Burnett-Duncan, OCS, 6-2, 7-5
Good-Seger, Wagoner, def. Clayton-Hill, Henryetta, 6-1, 6-4
Leslie-Mornhinweg, Byng, def. Luna-Walter, Elk City, 6-4, 7-5
Fields-Odom, Ardmore, def. Alvarado-Hicks, Pauls Valley, 6-1, 6-1
Oklahoma
Oklahoma becomes latest state to sue Roblox over child safety concerns
Oklahoma filed a lawsuit against Roblox on Thursday, becoming the latest state to take legal action against the popular gaming platform over child safety concerns.
“Roblox marketed itself as a safe place for children but turned a blind eye as predators targeted and exploited minors on its platform,” Attorney General Gentner Drummond said in a press release on Thursday.
In the 51-page lawsuit filed in Cleveland County District Court, Drummond claims that Roblox failed to implement basic safety controls, prioritizing user growth over child safety, and that the platform “facilitated the systemic sexual exploitation and abuse of children across Oklahoma and elsewhere in the United States.”
The platform’s design, the suit alleges, prevents parents from being aware of their child’s activity, resulting in exposure to “dangerous adults” and to encounters involving violence and sexual content.
In September, according to the lawsuit, an Oklahoma mother sued Roblox after her then-12-year-old daughter was coerced into sending explicit photos and videos to a man in his forties posing as a teenager on the platform.
Over the last year, a swath of lawsuits have sprung up across the country alleging an online environment within Roblox that facilitates child exploitation.
A CBS News investigation last year found at least a dozen instances of hate speech on Roblox targeting minority groups and dozens of swastikas in one game where users were able to bypass safety moderations.
Oklahoma’s suit alleges violations under the state’s Consumer Protection Act, claiming that Roblox made misrepresentations to consumers by not disclosing “the true nature of the risks of harm posed to children.” Oklahoma is seeking civil penalties for each violation of the act and permanent injunctions prohibiting deceptive practices and requiring the implementation of “meaningful and lasting” safeguards.
The platform hosts over 150 million active daily users, according to Roblox, and as many as two-thirds of U.S. children between 9 and 12 years old have accounts, Oklahoma’s lawsuit claims.
Roblox says on its website that the company applies “rigorous build-in protections and tools” and leverages partnerships with child safety experts. It announced last month that it will launch expanded parental controls for users under 16 in June.
In a statement to CBS News, Roblox Chief Safety Officer Matt Kaufman said the company has built a multilayered safety system for user protection that deploys AI-powered detection, human moderation and filters designed to prevent the exchange of personal information.
“We share Attorney General Drummond’s commitment to child online safety,” Kaufman said. “With that said, we are disappointed that he has filed a lawsuit that both fundamentally misrepresents how Roblox works and fails to take into account the extensive, industry-leading proactive measures the company is taking to set a new standard in online safety.”
The company said it is the first online gaming platform to require age checks for all users accessing chat features, and noted that it does not allow the exchange of images or videos in chats.
Kaufman said Roblox works closely with law enforcement when it identifies violations and that “while no system can be perfect,” the company is constantly strengthening user protections. “We look forward to working constructively with Attorney General Drummond to help keep kids safe online,” he said.
At least nine states including Oklahoma have sued Roblox and at least three others have reached settlements with the platform.
Oklahoma
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.
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.
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.
“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.”
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