Walters in Tulsa after what he calls 'assault' on religious liberty, implies threat to school district accreditation

State Superintendent Ryan Walters staged a press conference Friday on the grounds of Tulsa Public Schools’ administration building about an incident he views as a violation of a local school board member’s religious freedom.

He vowed to make an issue of the matter when the school district’s accreditation is up for renewal next week by the Oklahoma State Board of Education.

“I want to thank E’Lena Ashley for her stand for religious freedom. There is no more fine example today that religious liberty is under assault than what’s happening here in Tulsa Public Schools,” Walters said over constant shouting from the large crowd that assembled for the 3 p.m. press conference. “You have a school board member who uses her freedom of expression to say a prayer, and what do you see? You see the radical left who want to shout her down.”

Friday’s press conference, which the Oklahoma State Department of Education announced on Thursday afternoon, appeared to draw an equal number of protesters and supporters, who, alternately, shouted over speakers at the podium and at one another over the course of about 20 minutes.

Along with Walters, speakers at Friday’s press conference included Ashley, Bob Linn with the Oklahoma Conservative Political Action Committee, and state Sens. Nathan Dahm, R-Broken Arrow, and Dana Prieto, R-Tulsa. Prieto brandished a thick stack of papers he identified as “almost 2,000 letters of support” for Ashley, drawing another round of jeers and cheers from the assembled crowd.

Afterward, when the shouting had moved away from the podium in front of the Education Service Center’s marquee, Walters spoke to reporters and made this revelation: “The next (state) board meeting we have next week, we will be looking at Tulsa Public Schools’ accreditation for all their violations, … and we are going to make sure that religious liberties are protected in Tulsa Public Schools.”

Ashley, a Tulsa school board member, spoke at East Central High School’s graduation ceremony on May 18 and invited everyone to pray with her.

“I pray in the name of Jesus Christ that each one of you would walk forward from this moment in the excellence and love of God, that he would guide you, direct you and draw you to your ultimate goal. In the name of Jesus,” she said.

Afterward, Ashley reported that she had received an email from the Tulsa school board president stating that both the president and Superintendent Deborah Gist had received numerous complaints from members of the school community and saying that the prayer Ashley made is not allowed under the U.S. Constitution and rulings by the U.S. Supreme Court.

East Central High School students and staff also voiced their concerns during the citizens’ comment portions of the Tulsa school board’s meetings on June 5 and July 10.

However, Walters zeroed in on objections from Gist and board President Stacey Woolley and used that as justification for not reaching out privately to discuss his concerns prior to Friday’s press conference.

“We’ve seen exactly what Superintendent Gist and Tulsa Public Schools’ reaction to this was: attack a board member, to send an email that fundamentally misunderstands religious liberty and religious freedom and attack a duly elected board member for saying a prayer,” Walters said. “It’s outrageous, and we’re not going to stand for that.”

In 1962, the U.S. Supreme Court held in Engel v. Vitale that school-sponsored prayer is a violation of the establishment clause of the First Amendment. Walters has previously stated that he believes the decision was wrong.

Walters did not answer follow-up questions as to what specific provisions of the state’s accreditation standards he believes were violated by district officials’ criticism of Ashley’s prayer.

A spokeswoman for TPS confirmed Friday morning that the district was not contacted by Walters or the Oklahoma State Department of Education about the state superintendent’s concerns prior to the press conference announcement that went out Thursday afternoon.

As the press conference started, the district issued a written statement in response.

“Tulsa Public Schools values and respects individuals from all faiths, backgrounds, and cultures. We strive to maintain a welcoming environment for our students, families, and team members,” the statement says.

“The U.S. Constitution and U.S. Supreme Court rulings are clear: district officials may not lead prayer or promote religious views at school-sponsored events. By adhering to the law, we strive to uphold religious liberty and ensure that no student or family feels excluded at school events — particularly graduation, a once-in-a lifetime celebration.”

Tulsa Public Schools’ state accreditation was downgraded in July 2022 over an allegation that it violated a state law commonly referred to as House Bill 1775, which limits classroom discussion on race and gender. The district was penalized for an August 2021 professional development session on implicit bias for teachers — not students — offered through a third-party vendor.

The State Board of Education takes up every public school district’s accreditation renewal each July. This month’s meeting is set for 9:30 a.m. July 27.

Attendees at Friday’s press conference included a half dozen or so faith leaders from across Tulsa, who watched from the back.

The Rev. Randy Lewis of All Souls Unitarian Church said he came to hear Walters for himself. All he could do was shake his head in disappointment.

“It’s horrible what politicians are doing to this country — right, left, you name it,” Lewis said. “We are one nation and one people. This division, this foolishness? Scripture says: ‘Divided we fall; together we stand.’”

Walters told reporters after the event that he would have taken the same action had Ashley offered a prayer representing any faith background. However, requests from the crowd to allow an imam and a rabbi to offer a prayer at the top of the press conference were ignored.

Shelley Gwartney, who ran an unsuccessful bid for a Union school board seat last year and who is a current candidate for state Senate District 33, attended with a handful of fellow Moms for Liberty members.

“What this school board member did is protected under the First Amendment,” she said. “It was a public graduation. People are allowed to pray. If it can happen at TPS, how can it not happen somewhere else?”

A woman with a son in Broken Arrow Public Schools said she attended because “we are not looking forward to forced religious observance in schools.”

“I think Tulsa instituting religious programming would spread. It’s like this little spark,” said Melisa Mons. “But all of this yelling? I don’t think that solves anything. I can see where there’s that frustration of wanting to be heard, but it’s hard to hear other perspectives if everyone is yelling.”

Gabe Woolley, who teaches fourth grade English and social studies at TPS and is of no relation to the school board president with the same last name, hugged Ashley after the press conference.

He said he views the invitation to pray and the prayer she made at East Central’s graduation as the same as the moment of silence observed in public schools, where children can choose to pray or not pray.

“If we’re really going to say we want free speech, you have to embrace the other side,” he said