20,000 signatures reached
To: Oklahoma Courts, Oklahoma Legislature, School District Officials, Educators
Reject Oklahoma's Unconstitutional School Bible Mandate
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Oklahoma State Superintendent Ryan Walters announced yesterday that he would require the Bible to be taught in 5-12th grades, and even suggested providing uniform curriculum to direct how educators incorporate the religious text into their lesson plans.
Requiring a specific, single religious text be taught statewide in public schools is a clear violation of students' religious freedom! Sign the petition to urge Oklahoma's elected leaders and school district officials to reject this unconstitutional mandate!
Why is this important?
Oklahoma’s recent Bible mandate is part of a growing Christian nationalist movement to break down the walls separating Church and State. And public schools—not just in Oklahoma but across the country—are a clear target.
Walters ran, and won, on a platform denouncing “woke ideology” and book bans, so it’s ironic but no surprise that he is attempting to mandate the Bible in public schools across the state. In fact, the Oklahoma Supreme Court just ruled against a proposed publicly funded religious charter school—which would have been the first in the country.
His announcement follows just days after Louisiana Governor Jeff Landry signed a state law requiring the Ten Commandments to be posted in public school classrooms. Similar bills were introduced in Mississippi and West Virginia, and one was passed in Arizona that would allow–not require—teachers to display the Ten Commandments. This is clearly part of a coordinated conservative playbook to take control of our public schools, undermine public education, and push an extreme Christian nationalist agenda nationwide.
The fight for religious freedom—as well as freedom from religion—is taking place right now in Oklahoma. Sign the petition to urge state leaders to reject Superintendent Walters’ Bible ban NOW and commit to upholding students’ religious freedom!