"We're fighting back against this left-wing indoctrination in Oklahoma. We see it from the teachers' union. We see it from the Biden administration. We see it from radicals in our own schools … and we're going to continue to ensure that parents' rights are protected," Walters said on Washington Watch Friday.
John Glenn Elementary School, a part of the Western Heights School District, in June hired Dr. Shane Murnan as its principal. The school district confirmed Murnan's hiring with knowledge he had previously faced child pornography charges while teaching fifth grade in Stillwater, Oklahoma. The charges were ultimately dismissed, The Tulsa World reported in 2002.
However, things got worse when Murnan's drag career was confirmed by a national news outlet. Fox News reported that Murnan was employed as a drag queen at a venue called "The Boom." Fox showed several shots it said was Murnan in his work attire, screenshots from the Facebook account of Shantel Mandalay.
"It's outrageous to have a drag queen running a school here in Oklahoma that doesn't line up with Oklahoma values," Walters told Fox News. "I hear from parents every day who are concerned with this woke, left-wing indoctrination, this gender theory that continues to be thrust upon our kids.
"This individual is not fit to lead a school," he added, referring to Murnan. "It has to stop."
Fox reported that Murnan has read books to children at a public library while dressed in full drag as part of "Pride" month celebrations.
In an Aug. 31 news release, Walters said: "I will not allow rogue educators to endanger our kids. OSDE is looking into all accusations and will take any necessary action to protect children."
Walters, a former history teacher, said he heard so many concerns from parents about changing Oklahoma schools that he felt led to run for state superintendent.
"We continue to hear parents [asking] 'What has happened to an education system that used to encourage us to play such a crucial role in our kids' lives, and now we're being boxed out?' We're hearing about these pornographic materials in our schools, and we have books like 'Gender Queer' and 'Flamer' being pushed upon our kids with images so graphic," Walters told Washington Watch host Tony Perkins.
TV station, making the point: 'We can't read that on the air'
Amazon's description of the book "Gender Queer" tells the story of an adolescent struggling with how to "come out" to family and society and "bonding with friends over erotic gay fanfiction." An NPR review of "Flamer" tells the story of a boy struggling with his Catholic middle-school teachings on homosexuality and finding his road to "self-acceptance" while away at summer camp.
Walters explained that he asked local news media to read passages from the books on their stations and let viewers decide if they thought the books were inappropriate.
At least one television station responded with, "We can't show that. There might be kids watching," Walters said. "I literally had a reporter say that. I said, 'Well, that's kind of the point, isn't it?'"
Walters' aggressive stance on left-wing ideology in schools hasn't gone unnoticed. He's been named in seven lawsuits since taking office. The most recent is from Summer Boismier, a former English teacher in Norman, Okla., who the superintendent said had used her classroom to make a political display expressing her own opinions.
The New York Times reported that Boismier used a QR code directing students to the Brooklyn Public Library's "Books UnBanned" program, which makes books available online that may have been taken off shelves elsewhere in the U.S.
Taking on teachers' unions where it hurts
Walters has also taken on teachers' unions in Oklahoma with a plan to keep unions from deducting money from teachers' paychecks.
"They continue to funnel teachers' paycheck money into political campaigns against Republicans, against conservatives. Well, we're not going to allow it anymore," he stated. "We're going to put parents in charge of their kids' education."
According to the state school superintendent, left-leaning educators don't want conflict – they want acquiescence.
"… They just want us to roll over and continue to allow them to push state-sponsored atheism – and that's what it is if you don't talk to our kids about the line from the Declaration of Independence that says you're 'endowed by our Creator with certain inalienable rights,'" he explained.
"When you read the Founders, it's clear," Walters continued. "They believed our Judeo-Christian values would make us an exceptional country. We have to respond to that, and we've got to play offense too."
And he's felt the support of Oklahoma Attorney General Gentner Drummond and Gov. Kevin Stitt. "We have a fantastic governor who is right there. He believes in protecting religious liberties in the state. He's a tremendous conservative governor who has been there with us every step of the way," Walters adds. "It makes a huge difference."
Editor's note: Image above of elementary school is not the school mentioned in this story.
