UPDATE:
OKLAHOMA CITY, OKLA. (KOKH) — State Superintendent Lindel Fields released a statement after the Oklahoma Supreme Court set a deadline to decide the fate of Bibles in Oklahoma schools.
In a release sent out Wednesday morning, Fields said, “We plan to file a motion to dismiss, and have no plans to distribute Bibles or a Biblical character education curriculum in classrooms. If resources are left to be allocated, the timing is fortunate since the team and I are currently reviewing the budget.”
ORIGINAL:
The Oklahoma Supreme Court is giving State Superintendent Lindel Fields a deadline to decide the fate of Bibles in Oklahoma classrooms.
This comes from former State Superintendent Ryan Walters’ mandate for all classrooms in Oklahoma to have Bibles.
Walters issued a Memorandum on June 27, 2024, for the immediate implementation of foundational texts in the curriculum. On July 24, 2024, he issued OSDE instructional guidelines for teachers on incorporating the Bible as instructional support. Then, there was the proposal issued by OMES on behalf of the OSDE on Feb. 21, 2025, seeking bids for character instruction manuals.
The Supreme Court order is clear: State Superintendent Lindel Fields has until Oct. 28 at 5 p.m. to give a status report on his intention with the listed directives. In a new court order signed by Chief Justice Dustin Rowe, justices said there has been “significant turnover” among the state officials involved in the case, including Walters, who resigned Oct. 1.
The court says it can’t determine who currently holds each position and is directing the state to provide that information by Oct. 28 at 5 p.m.
Fields and the state department of education must report their decision, and the plaintiffs will have 10 days to respond.
The OSDE will have a media briefing at noon on Wednesday. Check back for the stream.
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