Libs of TikTok creator Chaya Raichik appointed to Oklahoma's library review committee

Ryan Walters, Oklahoma's state schools superintendent, announced Tuesday that Chaya Raichik, the woman behind the “Libs of TikTok” social media account, has been named to an Oklahoma library media advisory committee.

In a media statement, Walters said he put Raichik on the advisory committee because she was on the front lines showing the world exactly what the radical left is all about — lowering standards, porn in schools and pushing "woke indoctrination" on kids.

“Her unique perspective is invaluable as part of my plan to make Oklahoma schools safer for kids and friendly to parents," Walters said.

The Oklahoma State Department of Education told The Oklahoman in an email Tuesday that the committee’s main objective is to decide whether a book in question violates the provisions outlined in Oklahoma's Media Program Rule. The rule in the Oklahoma Administrative Code is aimed at "removing pornographic or sexualized content from public schools in the State of Oklahoma," the department wrote.

According to the department, the committee is a volunteer advisory board appointed by Walters and is made up of parents, current or retired librarians and English literature teachers.

The department did not immediately respond to a request for additional details about how the committee functions, when it was created or who else is a member of the group.

More: Oklahoma superintendent appoints Libs of TikTok creator to state library committee

Lawmakers: Walters' appointment violates Oklahoma's TikTok executive order

Walters' move, however, isn't sitting well with some state lawmakers and could be in violation of an executive order previously issued by Gov. Kevin Stitt.

State Rep. Mark McBride, who has been critical of both the Education Department and Walters in the past, questioned the need for Raichik's appointment. McBride said the appointment could be a problem in light of the governor's executive order banning TikTok.

In December 2022, Stitt issued an executive order that criticized TikTok's creator ByteDance because it could "gain control of crucial user information stored on mobile devices through TikTok's broad data collection policies." Stitt's order banned the use of TikTok by any executive branch agency or employee and blacklisted the software from all state networks and state managed devices.

Tuesday, Stitt's office backed away from criticizing Walters. "The governor's stance on TikTok stands," said Stitt's spokesman, Abegail Cave. "Secretary Walters is a separately elected official, so (he is) accountable to the Oklahoma voters."

More: Ryan Walters's yearlong feud with a top education official might have thawed. What changed?

McBride said he was shocked that any Oklahoma official would appoint someone to oversee content curation in Oklahoma schools who gained fame by using a social media platform controlled by the Communist Chinese Party. "Last year Gov. Stitt rightly banned the use of TikTok by state employees and agencies, and I do not believe we should be promoting influencers platformed by the CCP to positions in our agencies," he said.

Libs of TikTok posts spark outrage, bomb threats

A House Democrat questioned why Walters would appoint someone who had no educational background to the advisory committee.

“Why did Superintendent Walters appoint a social media influencer to the state’s Library Media Advisory Committee? What are her qualifications? Is she a librarian? No. Education background? No. Does she even live in Oklahoma?" said state Rep. Mickey Dollens, D-Oklahoma City. "No. Is she a right-wing extremist social media influencer responsible for perpetuating repeated bomb threats on Oklahoma public schools? Yes. We cannot overlook why Superintendent Walters made this controversial appointment."

Dollens said it was just last week, that news reports surfaced that showed Walters used taxpayer dollars to expense his travel to promote himself and attend media appearances, speaking engagements and a horror movie premiere, despite an order from the governor’s office banning public spending for most out-of-state travel.

"This latest stunt is nothing more than a distraction to divert attention from his own actions," Dollens said.

Raichik, a former Brooklyn real estate agent who grew up in Los Angeles, created the @LibsofTikTok handle on Twitter, now X, in April 2021. "Libs of TikTok" has over 2.8 million followers and reposts TikTok videos of users sharing liberal views while adding derisive conservative commentary.

The account has become a creator of, and a force multiplier for, right-wing outrage, particularly on LGBTQ+ issues. On X it has been amplified by the platform’s owner Elon Musk, and a hive of conservative politicians, media personalities and far-right online influencers, including former Fox News anchor Tucker Carlson and podcaster Joe Rogan.

More: How much did taxpayers pay for Ryan Walters' travel to speaking engagements, movie premier?

The Libs of TikTok account previously caused issues in Oklahoma. Last year, a "Libs of TikTok" post drew attention to a video posted by an elementary school librarian in Tulsa.

In the 16-second video, a librarian enters a classroom with books in her hand and laughs along in a lip sync of a Ludacris song. The caption on the video says, “POV: Teachers in your state are dropping like flies but you are still just not quite finished pushing your woke agenda.”

The video had been edited from her original TikTok to include the teacher's name and school at the end.

After the post was made, the Ellen Ochoa Elementary School in Tulsa received a bomb threat on Aug. 22. That day Ryan Walters had also retweeted the "Libs of TikTok" post.

The threat appeared to have been made in retaliation for a librarian's public post on TikTok.

Another "Libs of TikTok" post identified a Western Heights Public Schools principal as a drag performer and accused various Oklahoma school districts of having “pornographic” books in their libraries.

Walters' crusade against 'woke' and 'inappropriate' library material in schools

Last year, Walters called for lawmakers to review 190 books with LGBTQ+ themes and four books he called "pornographic," claiming some books with sexual material have been found in public schools.

The decision to shelve or remove certain titles typically lies with the individual district and its school board. Some school districts in Oklahoma could decide to keep a book while another takes it out of library circulation.

The Oklahoma State Board of Education recently approved rules that would allow it to demote a school district's accreditation for having pornographic or sexualized content in school books. Those rules are now moving through the state Legislature for formal approval.

Ryan Walters proposes new Oklahoma information literacy standards

Last month Walters said he wanted to change what he called Oklahoma’s “woke” information literacy standards. Information literacy is a traditional term for the standards taught by a certified school librarian. Information literacy standards also are referred to as media or digital literacy.

Walters said the current standards constituted "taxpayer-funded, woke indoctrination of our children in Oklahoma. Without providing examples, he criticized the association for fighting against "filtering of internet pornography in libraries" and attacking "parents who just want libraries to protect children and reflect their communities."

The new standards are posted on the state Education Department website. Before the proposed new rules can take effect, they must receive approval by the state Board of Education, state Legislature and governor.

Tuesday, McBride said there were many Oklahomans who were better qualified for the post than Raichik.

"I believe that we have plenty of Oklahoma parents, educators and librarians who can fill this important role," he said. "I do not believe that an out of state Realtor who has found fame as a social media influencer brings any quality or substance to the conversation about improving education outcomes in Oklahoma.

More: What are 'information literacy standards' and why does Ryan Walters want to change them?

This article originally appeared on Oklahoman: Ryan Walters names Libs of TikTok creator to Oklahoma library committee