LAWTON, Okla. (KSWO) – Thursday evening, Oklahoma State Superintendent Ryan Walters sent an email to Oklahoma schools with a link to a video of him praying.

Walters asked each school to show the video to its students, saying they were encouraged to pray with him but it was not required.

7News contacted several schools in southwest Oklahoma, all of which said they do not show the video to their students, including Duncan Public Schools.

Duncan Public Schools Superintendent Dr. Channa Byerly said in a statement, quoting in part:

“Duncan Schools will not show the video to our students or distribute it to our families. Duncan Public Schools will continue to use the curriculum adopted by our local school board and aligned with the Oklahoma Academic Standards.

Patrick Elliot, legal director of the Freedom From Religion Foundation, says his organization advises all Oklahoma schools to do the same.

“He doesn’t have the authority to come into your local schools and tell them how to run their operations,” Elliot said. “This has come up time and time again with Walters, he gets it wrong every time he tries to do it.”

A Lawton pastor with a long history of teaching, including at Lawton Public Schools and Cameron University, says the decision goes against what he knows as a former educator.

“I’m a little perplexed because he, as superintendent of schools, would do something that principals, administrators or teachers are not allowed to do,” said Davison Virgil, pastor of St. Missionary Baptist Church. John’s.

This is something Elliot mentioned as a problem, whether or not Walters required participation in prayer.

“This is not a question of whether a student could choose not to participate in their prayer, rather it is a question of a government official imposing this on a student, and that in itself constitutes a violation of the first amendment,” Elliot explained.

Those like Virgil believe that a student’s belief system and prayer should come from within.

“People say prayer doesn’t happen in school, but our first goal as pastors is to establish and focus on family units,” Virgil explained. “Wherever they are, they will take prayer with them. It’s about having it in their heart and not having it in a forced way.

The Oklahoma State Representative sent a quote to 7News on the issue stating:

You can find out more about the email here.

Copyright 2024 KSWO. All rights reserved.