Ryan Walters’ promised investigations into schools that didn’t honor Charlie Kirk never happened, records show

After the death of Charlie Kirk, the Oklahoma State Department of Education received over 400 complaints about schools and school staff accused of disrespecting the slain conservative activist. But the agency didn’t follow through on promises to investigate.

Under State Superintendent Ryan Walters, the agency said in September it was investigating a dozen districts that refused his directive to honor Kirk, as well as at least 70 teachers for anti-Kirk social media posts. Weeks later, Walters resigned to lead the Teacher Freedom Alliance, a conservative anti-teachers union group.

A defining feature of Walters’ whirlwind tenure as Oklahoma’s top education official was a focus on spectacle over substance. Walters was a fixture on cable news, framing Oklahoma as a front line in the national culture wars over race, religion, and classroom content. At the same time, his agency struggled with basic administrative duties — such as erroneously paid teacher bonuses or managing federal grants. Legislative auditors and education groups repeatedly criticized the department for disorganization and lack of follow-through.

In mid-September, after Kirk was killed while speaking outside of a Utah college, Walters announced on social media he would be “investigating” teachers who made “defamatory or egregious comments” about Kirk, and would “hold schools” accountable for not observing a moment of silence for the slain conservative provocateur.

Walters urged parents to report schools and teachers who failed to honor Kirk to the State Department of Education. He vowed to hold districts and educators accountable. But records obtained by The Frontier show agency investigators declined more than 100 requests from the public to investigate schools that did not hold a moment of silence for Kirk. Reports of teachers who allegedly made insensitive social media posts related to Kirk’s killing also went uninvestigated, according to department spokeswoman Bailey Woolsey, though action might have been taken at a local level, she said.

Woolsey, who was hired after Walters’ exit from the agency, said Department of Education investigators conducted a “preliminary review” of the reports  but “no formal investigation or action was pursued.”

Woolsey told The Frontier that the agency issued no notices of investigation to any schools related to Kirk. Walters did not respond to requests for comment by The Frontier.

The Frontier reached out to all school districts, asking them for comment on the allegations in the Kirk complaints. The districts that responded said the State Department of Education never contacted them about the alleged investigations.

Reports from parents to the State Department of Education range from displays of frustration or anger at perceived left-leaning bias by districts, teachers and administrators, to jokes at Walters’ expense. Some reports were even made by school employees against their co-workers.

“I don’t appreciate this school district taking my child’s right to observe a moment of silence for someone she loved and watched often, simply because it would hinder their schedule,” one parent reported about her child’s elementary school in Deer Creek. “The school and teachers schedules be damned, what does a MINUTE to respect this man really do to their precious schedules?”

A parent of a middle-schooler in Ponca City reported Superintendent Adam Leaming, calling him a “left wing political hack that thinks he is better than Walters.”

“Help make Ponca City Schools Great Again and get rid of Leaming,” the parent wrote.

Leaming did not respond to a request for comment.

A parent in Coweta reported the local district for not honoring Kirk, asking “Why do you have a full day for MLK day, but cannot observe 1 min for Charlie Kirk.” The parent said the district superintendent said “he was more on my side of the issue” and that he “appreciated my opinion. Which meant nothing.”

“I think some disciplinary action should be taken,” the parent wrote.

But complaints went unheard and Walters stepped down weeks later. He was replaced by Lindel Fields, a former educator who immediately began to unwind many of Walters’ directives, saying he was seeking to “rebuild” the department’s relationships with educators and parents.

Software state education officials used to handle the reports asked parents to “describe the individual” they were reporting. One person identified their target as “Ryan Walters, white, fragile male.”

“Stop wasting our time with your politicized emails. It’s annoying,” they wrote. “My kids are learning about our history, the good and the bad. They accept the lgbtqia+ community … leave us alone and resign.”

The report was flagged internally as “RW opposition,” records show.

Legal experts pointed out from the start that Walters had no statutory authority to order moments of silence or to investigate districts that declined to participate. Under Oklahoma law, the power to regulate and accredit schools rests with the State Board of Education, not the superintendent.

By 2025, Walters’ influence within the state government had waned. Legislative leaders were openly critical of his combative style, and the State Board of Education had begun asserting its independence.
In fact, lawmakers had recently moved to curb Walters’ power even further. Earlier in 2025, the Legislature passed a bill limiting his ability to revoke teaching licenses following concerns he was using his office to pursue political vendettas.

The Frontier is a nonprofit newsroom that produces fearless journalism with impact in Oklahoma. Read more at www.readfrontier.org.