Oklahoma Schools Chief Ryan Walters Files For Divorce After Ordering Schools To Teach and Mandate Christian Marital Loyalty

Former Oklahoma State schools Superintendent Ryan Walters is filing for divorce from his wife after 15 years of marriage.

As the Oklahoma State schools Superintendent Walters instituted a policy that required all schools in Oklahoma to teach the Bible not only with respect to religious history, but also to US history.

Walters Files For Divorce From His Wife

In the divorce filing, an attorney for Ryan Walters said that the marriage is in 'a state of complete and irreconcilable incompatibility' as grounds for the divorce, saying it had 'destroyed the aims of the marriage of the parties and rendered its continuation impossible.'

'After thoughtful conversations, we've arrived at this decision and will remain devoted parents of four wonderful kids. Our children are at the heart of everything, and we love them more than words can say, in a statement fro Walters and his wife Katie.

'We're grateful for the family we've built and committed to raising our kids together with the same love and care they've always known. We kindly ask for privacy for them as we settle into this next chapter.'

Oklahoma Schools Required to Teach the Bible

'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. This directive is in alignment with the educational standards approved on or about May 2019, with which all districts must comply, in a statement announcing the new policy.

'The Bible is one of the most historically significant books and a cornerstone of Western civilization, along with the Ten Commandments. They will be referenced as an appropriate study of history, civilization, ethics, comparative religion, or the like, as well as for their substantial influence on our nation's founders and the foundational principles of our Constitution. This is not merely an educational directive but a crucial step in ensuring our students grasp the core values and historical context of our country,' the statement continued.

At the end of the statement 'Immediate and strict compliance is expected.'

Reactions to New Policy

Walters said at a state Board of Education meeting after the policy was announced, 'We'll be teaching from the Bible in the classroom to ensure that this historical understanding is there for every student in the state of Oklahoma.'

Americans United for Separation of Church and State, a nonprofit civil liberties group, said in a statement that Walters' new policy is 'trampling the religious freedom of public school children and their families.'

'This is textbook Christian Nationalism: Walters is abusing the power of his public office to impose his religious beliefs on everyone else's children,' Rachel Laser, the group's CEO, said in the statement. Her organization is 'ready to step in,' she wrote, though she stopped short of vowing legal action. The group has already sued to block a new Louisiana law requiring the Ten Commandments to be displayed in public schools, according to NBC News.

Walters resigned in September of last year in order to lead the Teacher Freedom Alliance (TFA), which says its mission is to help teachers develop 'free, moral, and upright American citizens,' according to The Guardian.