Ryan Walters issues scathing statement after allegations of nudity shown during meeting

By Josh Wallace

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    OKLAHOMA CITY (KOCO) — State Superintendent Ryan Walters on Sunday released a statement regarding allegations that images of nude women were seen at a recent meeting by education board members.

In the statement, Walters denied using any device to stream to the television and said he had he was unaware of what was on the TV.

“As I lead the charge for a bold overhaul of education in Oklahoma, putting parents back in control, rejecting radical agendas, and demanding excellence: it’s no surprise to face politically motivated attacks.

Any suggestion that a device of mine was used to stream inappropriate content on the television set is categorically false. I have no knowledge of what was on the TV screen during the alleged incident, and there is absolutely no truth to any implication of wrongdoing.

These falsehoods are the desperate tactics of a broken establishment afraid of real change. They aren’t just attacking me, they’re attacking the values of the Oklahomans who elected me to challenge the status quo.

I will not be distracted. My focus remains on making Oklahoma the best state in the nation, in every category,” Walters wrote in a news release.

According to the Oklahoman, Oklahoma State Board of Education members Ryan Deatherage and Becky Carson said they saw the nude women on the TV while they were in the meeting with Walters.

KOCO 5 reached out to both board members, but neither would confirm what they specifically saw.

In a statement, Carson said, “I was appointed to the State Board of Education to serve Oklahoma students to the best of my ability. The images that board members were exposed to yesterday in this meeting were inappropriate to say the least. There has to be accountability.”

Deatherage also released a statement, saying, “As an appointed member of the Oklahoma School Board, it is my top priority to protect the well-being of Oklahoma students. We hold educators to the strictest of standards when it comes to explicit material. The standard for the superintendent should be no different.”

State lawmakers, including Gov. Kevin Stitt and Senate Pro Tem Lonnie Paxton, have called the allegations “troubling.”

“This is a bizarre and troubling situation that raises serious questions about the events and what took place during yesterday’s executive session at the Oklahoma State Board of Education meeting,” Paxton said. “The accounts made public by board members paint a strange, unsettling scene that demands clarity and transparency. Senator Pugh and I appreciate the quick action by OMES to help coordinate through this situation to get details on exactly what happened. More transparency is essential before strong conclusions can be drawn,” Paxton said.

“I trust and appreciate my board members. They are volunteers who are sacrificing their time to serve Oklahoma students. Should these allegations be true, all I can say is that I am profoundly disappointed,” Stitt said.

“These are serious allegations made by two members of the State Board and an expeditious third-party review is warranted. I urge the State Superintendent to unlock and turn over all relevant devices and fully cooperate with an investigation. If no wrongdoing occurred, a prompt and transparent review should quickly clear his name,” House Speaker Kyle Hilbert said.

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