Scandal-wracked state superintendent approves PragerU for Oklahoma schools

Oklahoma City, Oklahoma - Oklahoma has become the next state after Florida to green light the use of rightwing PragerU materials in public school classrooms.

Oklahoma Superintendent of Public Instruction Ryan Walters has announced that controversial, rightwing PragerU materials will soon be coming to public schools in the state.
Oklahoma Superintendent of Public Instruction Ryan Walters has announced that controversial, rightwing PragerU materials will soon be coming to public schools in the state.  © IMAGO / USA TODAY Network

Ryan Walters, the state superintendent of public instruction, said in a video address that he "could not be more excited" that Oklahoma schools will soon receive PragerU content – a favorite among Republican politicians and the far-right.

"This expansion of our available resources will help ensure high-quality materials rich in American history and values will be available to our teachers and students," Walters claimed in a statement.

"We will work together to find ways for PragerU to create content that will enrich the education of Oklahoma students," he added.

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PragerU is a conservative non-profit, founded in 2009 by screenwriter and director Allen Estrin and talk show host Dennis Prager, which "offers a free alternative to the dominant left-wing ideology in culture, media, and education," according to its website.

The platform's "edutainment" videos are notorious for promoting climate change denialism, false narratives about slavery and racism, and anti-LGBTQ+ views.

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Oklahoma House Democrats have called for an impeachment probe into Ryan Walters after a disturbing string of allegations came to light.
Oklahoma House Democrats have called for an impeachment probe into Ryan Walters after a disturbing string of allegations came to light.  © IMAGO / USA TODAY Network

Walters himself has stirred controversy for pushing book bans and whitewashed accounts of US history, including suggesting that the infamous 1921 Tulsa Race Massacre wasn't about race.

Oklahoma House Democrats have called for an impeachment investigation into Walters following a series of bomb threats at Union Public Schools. The harassment began after the superintendent shared a provocative social media post about one of the Tulsa-area district's librarians.

On top of that, Walters has been accused of lying about filing federal grants, sending pornographic material to staffers, mishandling federal funds, and wrongfully firing whistleblowers, among other allegations, NPR reported.

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The former high-school history teacher is also getting flack over improper financial disclosures, with the Oklahoma Ethics Commission saying he routinely missed filing deadlines.

A spokesperson for Walters slammed a possible impeachment probe as a "direct threat to democracy."

In addition to Oklahoma, Texas is reportedly looking at approving PragerU content after Florida became the first state to do so earlier this year.

Cover photo: IMAGO / USA TODAY Network

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