Families, teachers, and religious leaders who are already challenging the Oklahoma state’s move to provide classroom Bibles are now taking legal action to prevent the state from purchasing a Scripture-based curriculum for elementary schools. On March 4, the plaintiffs filed a brief with the Oklahoma Supreme Court seeking an injunction to stop State Superintendent of Public Instruction Ryan Walters’ plan to introduce Christian teaching materials into public schools.
The lawsuit aims to halt Walters’ initiative, which includes proposals for Bible-infused lesson plans and the purchase of classroom Bibles. The plaintiffs are asking the court to intervene and prevent the implementation of these plans, which they argue violate the principle of separation of church and state.
Rachel Laser, president of Americans United for Separation of Church and State, which is representing the plaintiffs, criticized Walters’ actions. “The separation of church and state guarantees that families and students—not politicians—get to decide if, when, and how to engage with religion,” she said. “Superintendent Ryan Walters continues to abuse the power of his office to advance a Christian nationalist agenda and impose his personal religious beliefs on other people’s children.”
The legal challenge specifically targets the state’s Request for Proposal (RFP) issued on February 21, which seeks Bible-based lesson plans for elementary school classrooms. The proposal calls for teaching materials that include biblical content, explain biblical figures and stories in a way that is accessible to young students, and demonstrate how these stories have influenced U.S. history and culture. The RFP also requires that the materials address “key figures and events that have shaped the history and culture of Oklahoma.”
Walters defended his proposals, claiming they align with a broader set of educational standards designed to strengthen civic education and constitutional studies. According to the Oklahoma Department of Education, the new curriculum includes more than 40 references to the Bible’s historical impact, alongside other aspects of American history.
“We have the strongest standards in the country: pro-America, pro-American exceptionalism, and enhanced civics and constitutional studies at every grade level,” the department stated. The plaintiffs in the case are also seeking to block a previous RFP issued in January for 55,000 King James Bibles, each to be accompanied by documents such as the Bill of Rights, the Declaration of Independence, and the U.S. Constitution.
Walters has repeatedly defended his educational policies, emphasizing that the Bible’s inclusion is intended for its historical context. “You can be offended by Christianity. You can disagree with Christianity, but that doesn’t give you the right to remove Christianity from American history,” Walters said in response to criticism.
However, his initiatives have faced significant opposition, including from at least 13 large Oklahoma school districts that have expressed their intention to defy Walters’ mandate to place Bibles in classrooms. The ongoing legal battle, filed as Rev. Lori Walke v. Ryan Walters, was originally initiated in October 2024 to challenge Walters’ June 2024 mandate to distribute Bibles in classrooms, which was met with public backlash. Walters later amended the mandate in response to this opposition.
The plaintiffs have now called on the Oklahoma Supreme Court to halt the implementation of the Bible curriculum and the purchase of Bibles while the lawsuit is pending. Megan Lambert, legal director of the ACLU of Oklahoma, emphasized that the case represents a fight to protect individual rights. “Oklahoma schools should be a safe and welcoming environment, focused on providing an equal education to all students, regardless of faith,” she said.
Annie Laurie Gaylor, co-president of the Freedom from Religion Foundation, argued that religious instruction should remain a parental responsibility rather than a school mandate. “Oklahoma families should not have to contend with religious promotion in their children’s public-school classrooms,” Gaylor said. “And Oklahomans should not have to watch their tax dollars be used by their state to promote Ryan Walters’ preferred holy book.”
Colleen McCarty, executive director of the Oklahoma Appleseed Center for Law and Justice, expressed concern about the financial implications of Walters’ initiatives. “The costs of these outlandish actions by our state superintendent continue to climb,” she said. “We’re facing a budget shortfall, and Oklahomans simply cannot afford these stunts for much longer. Oklahomans need a leader who will maintain the rule of law and educate our kids.”
The case remains under review by the Oklahoma Supreme Court, and the plaintiffs are hoping the court will intervene to stop the plans until a final ruling is made.
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