In a fiery press release, state schools Superintendent Ryan Walters says he “will not be distracted” by an investigation after two State Board of Education members said they saw images of naked women on a television in Walters’ office during a meeting.
The headline on the press release issued Sunday, July 27, said it was a “Response to the Most Absurd, False, and Gutter Political Attack from a Desperate, Failing Establishment.”
Walters, a far-right Republican, said “it’s no surprise to face politically motivated attacks” as he pushes “for a bold overhaul of education in Oklahoma.”
Board members Ryan Deatherage, of Kingfisher, and Becky Carson, of Edmond, told The Oklahoman on Friday they saw the images while the board met behind closed doors in Walters’ office on Thursday. The state board was in Walters’ office for an executive session to discuss teacher licensing, student attendance appeals and other sensitive issues. Walters chairs the board.
Deatherage and Carson, who were seated next to each other, said the TV screen was not visible to all attendees. It is not known who was controlling the TV or why the content was shown. All four appointed board members in the room said Walters was flustered when Carson forcefully called for the TV to be turned off because of the images.
Quinton Hitchcock, a spokesman for Walters, has not answered The Oklahoman’s questions about what Carson and Deatherage said occurred. Hitchcock issued a statement Friday saying multiple people had access to the office — without identifying who they were — and describing the board members, who were appointed by Gov. Kevin Stitt, as hostile. Hitchcock described the story as a “junk tabloid lie.”
That tone continued in Sunday’s press release, with Walters accusing the board members of lying. Board members said after the incident, Walters moved on with the executive session without apologizing or acknowledging what had happened, something Carson has said especially bothered her.
“Any suggestion that a device of mine was used to stream inappropriate content on the television set is categorically false,” Walters said. “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.”
Multiple state lawmakers, including House Speaker Kyle Hilbert, R-Bristow, and Senate President Pro Tempore Lonnie Paxton, R-Tuttle, called for an investigation into the allegations and urged Walters to cooperate. Hitchcock and Madison Cerny, another spokesperson for Walters, did not immediately respond to an email from The Oklahoman on Sunday, asking if Walters would cooperate.
Paxton has said the state Office of Management and Enterprise Services was “working through proper channels to initiate the investigation.”
Stitt, who appointed Carson, Deatherage and four other board members, has said he’s backing his appointees.
“I trust and appreciate my board members,” Stitt said. “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.”
This article originally appeared on Oklahoman: Walters denies responsibility for images of naked women in meeting