Red state superintendent proposes rules to ban drag queens, classroom diversity programs

Oklahoma's top education official will propose rules Thursday that would eliminate diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) programs, prevent drag queens from becoming teachers and protect religious freedom in schools.

Republican Oklahoma Superintendent of Public Instruction Ryan Walters will propose the new rules at Thursday's Oklahoma Board of Education meeting. A proposed rule allows the dismissal of teachers who have “committed sexual acts” in front of children, the second rule would eliminate funding for DEI programs in K-12 schools and the final proposal rule will ensure that students can participate in voluntary prayer.

“A teacher may be fired, denied employment, or not rehired after it is determined that that person, either in the presence of minors or in a manner available to minors online, has engaged in sexual acts, acts that appeal to a lewd interest in sex, as found by the average person applying the standards of contemporary society, or acts that excessively promote sexuality in view of the educational value of the material and in view of the age youngest of the students with access to this material,” the proposed council order banning drag queens. read in classrooms

The third proposed rule on prayer will be discussed at the board meeting Thursday and will be available for public comment in January.

“Superintendent Walters knows that the Constitution is very clear about religious freedom. It will not allow viewpoint discrimination against religious people, and we have all heard reports from outside groups insisting that classrooms be cleansed of any religious expression,” he said. Walters said in a statement to the Daily Caller News Foundation.

“No historically sound understanding of the Establishment Clause begins to make it necessary for the government to be hostile to religion in this way,” the statement continues.

Walters said by Chaya Raichik TikTok account X Libs, which highlights gender ideology activism in schools, inspired proposed rule banning teachers who promote sexuality to children after its account highlighted a story about a drag queen headmistress in a school in Oklahoma. The same school contracted a second drag queen who worked for the principal as a kindergarten aide.

“Now we have another employee who was arrested for a sexual act with a minor in the same building. And so what we've said is we need to make sure we have all the tools we need to remove people who have sexualized the classroom,” Walters told the DCNF.

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