Walters defies AG ruling for meetings

The Oklahoma Board of Education denied three lawmakers access to an executive session portion of its meeting Wednesday, even after the state attorney general confirmed they have the right to attend.

Sen. Mary Boren, D-Norman, Rep. Jacob Rosecrants, D-Norman, and Rep. Mike Osburn, R-Edmond, attempted to sit in on the executive session, which is closed to the public. The Oklahoma Open Meeting Act, though, includes a provision for any member of the Legislature who is a member of a committee with jurisdiction over the agency. An assistant attorney general reiterated that in a recent letter to Superintendent of Public Instruction Ryan Walters and the board. Walters said after the meeting he plans to seek clarification from the attorney general.

Boren, who was denied entry to the board’s executive session in June, is now weighing her legal options. She’s also concerned the board did not follow its published agenda.

In a portion of the executive session, the board discussed teacher licensure, including several under consideration for suspension or revocation.

There is concern some teachers are being targeted over speech outside the classroom. Typically, certification revocations are reserved for child predators and teachers who committed crimes.

Libs of TikTok, a right-wing social media influencer, posted about an Ardmore teacher on the agenda, Alison Scott, for a reply she made on a social media post about the attempted assassination of former president Donald Trump. Walters posted he’d be seeking to strip her certification.

Edmond AP English teacher Regan Killackey’s certification was also up for suspension, but the department has not made public what he is accused of. Killackey is one of the plaintiffs in a lawsuit against the state over House Bill 1775, the anti-critical race theory law.

Ultimately, the board voted to send the applications to revoke their credentials to a hearing officer.

Oklahoma Watch (OklahomaWatch.org) is a nonprofit, nonpartisan news organization that covers public-policy issues facing the state.