The boss of Oklahoma public schools has hit back at a woke school that tried to ban students from flying the American flag from their trucks last week.
Republican State Superintendent of Public Instruction Ryan Walters issued a statement on X days after Edmond North High School boycotted Old Glory from pupil vehicles.
‘No school in Oklahoma should tell students they can’t wave an American flag,’ Walters said.
‘We’ve had Americans die for that flag, die for students to have the right to carry the flag, to wave the flag, to be proud of that American flag.
‘My department right now is working on guidelines that we will be issuing to districts to ensure that no student is ever targeted for having an American flag and also that our schools will promote patriotism.’
Oklahoma State Superintendent of Public Instruction Ryan Walters has hit back at a woke school which tried to ban students from flying the American flag from their trucks last week
Locals said they were outraged by the decision, as one protestor said the flag ‘represents us as one and it’s our freedom, we have people that fight and die for that flag every day’
Walters’ outrage was echoed by parents and students at Edmond North High School, who launched a patriotic protest in response to the ban.
Caleb Horst, a senior at the school, said he was left confused by the school telling him to stop flying the stars and stripes on his pickup, particularly as he had already been ‘flying it for quite a while.’
‘I’ve never really had problems with it before, and it’s our First Amendment, so it’s kind of hard for them to infringe upon our rights,’ Horst told KOCO last week.
The protest involved the group flying a number of American flags on campus in support of the student.
Since Horst spoke out about the order from his school, he has received an outpouring of support from other students, parents, and local lawmakers demanding it is reversed.
Edmond Public Schools said that the district prohibits the flying of any flags on vehicles.
‘This is designed to prevent disruptions and distractions during the school day,’ the school district told KOCO.
‘It is also done in an effort to provide a safe school environment as flying flags on vehicles creates safety issues in the parking lot as well as can cause damage to other vehicles.’
Caleb Horst, a senior at Edmond North High School in Oklahoma, sparked a local protest after he was banned from flying an American flag on his truck on campus
Edmond High School said it will handle any discipline on a case-by-case basis
The protests in Edmond even drew support from Dukes of Hazzard star John Schneider, who released a video to Facebook saying he was ‘applauding’ the student’s efforts.
‘These are the kinds of people that we need to continue not only support, but to shout their names and their patriotism from our rooftops,’ Schneider said.
‘Caleb, you’re doing a great job… keep doing it, and I want you all to continue to back this wonderful young man.’
Meanwhile, Walters previously made headlines for ordering teachers to incorporate the Bible into lessons and keep a copy of the holy book in every classroom.
Republican State Superintendent of Public Instruction Ryan Walters made the decree on Thursday.
‘Effective immediately, all Oklahoma schools are required to incorporate the Bible, which includes the Ten Commandments, as an instructional support into the curriculum across specified grade levels, e.g. grades 5 through 12,’ Walters said.
Adherence to the mandate is compulsory and ‘immediate and strict compliance is expected.’
Republican State Superintendent of Public Instruction Ryan Walters ordered teachers to incorporate the Bible into lessons and keep a copy of the book in every classroom
Effective immediately, all Oklahoma schools will have to use the Bible, which includes the Ten Commandments, as an instructional support into the curriculum for grade levels 5 through 12
‘The Bible is an indispensable historical and cultural touchstone,’ Walters added.
‘Without basic knowledge of it, Oklahoma students are unable to properly contextualize the foundation of our nation which is why Oklahoma educational standards provide for its instruction.’
Oklahoma law already explicitly allows Bibles in the classroom and lets teachers use them in instruction, said Phil Bacharach, a spokesman for state Attorney General Gentner Drummond.
It’s not clear if Walters has the authority to mandate that schools teach it and critics have spoken out against the order.
***
Read more at DailyMail.co.uk