Ryan Walters proposes ban on 'sexualized content' in school libraries. What that could mean for Oklahoma
Oklahoma school districts, under a proposed new rule, could have their accreditation demoted for having explicit sexual content on library shelves.
State schools Superintendent Ryan Walters shared details on Friday of a suggested Oklahoma State Department of Education rule to ban “pornographic material” and “sexualized content” from libraries in K-12 schools and CareerTech centers.
Walters has repeatedly criticized schools and teachers who he claimed gave students access to books with sexual material.
Text of Walters' proposed rule, which he shared on social media, defines “pornographic” similarly to the state’s legal definition of “obscene material.”
Library content would be deemed “pornographic” if it includes depictions of sexual conduct that an average person would find patently offensive when applying contemporary community standards or that a reasonable person would determine lacks literary or educational value when taking the work as a whole.
“Sexualized content” is not strictly pornographic but “otherwise contains excessive sexual material in light of the youngest age of students with access to said material,” according to the proposed text.
Should the Oklahoma State Board of Education approve the rules, it could lower the standing of a school district found in “willful noncompliance.” The rule’s text doesn’t outline what specific accreditation penalty would be applied.
The Education Department did not return a request for comment on how soon the state board could implement the rules and what punishment the state superintendent would recommend for willful noncompliance.
Under Walters’ proposal, school districts would have to submit a complete list of all library books and materials to the state Education Department every year on Oct. 1.
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If a district is found to be negligent or in reckless noncompliance, the state would order it to comply with the rule within a reasonable timeframe. A school district could be deemed willfully noncompliant if it fails to follow a state order to correct a negligent or reckless finding.
The Education Department has tiers of accreditation ranging from fully accredited, accredited with various levels of deficiency, probation and non-accredited. Falling to non-accredited means a public school district would be closed and dissolved.
The public can submit comment on the proposed rule to the Education Department from Feb. 15 to March 17. The agency will host a public hearing on the rules at 10 a.m. March 17 at its headquarters, 2500 N Lincoln.
Walters announces pornography rule after criticizing Oklahoma City Public Schools
Lately, the newly elected superintendent zeroed in on Oklahoma City Public Schools for a book removed from the district’s libraries for explicit content. The book, titled “Let’s Talk About It,” included graphic drawings of genitalia and sexual acts.
The Oklahoma City school district added the book to its shelves in January 2022 and removed it in August during an audit of library materials, district communications director Courtney Scott said.
“Let’s Talk About It” was part of book list from a national vendor, according to the district. Some online library catalogs, which didn’t give access to the book itself, incorrectly indicated the title was still on shelves even after it had been removed, Scott said.
“We have removed books from our school libraries that were on national lists because it’s important for us to protect our students and to ensure we are respecting and representing Oklahoma values,” the school district wrote in a statement posted on social media.
Walters called the book “grossly inappropriate for our kids” in a video response. He said he instructed Education Department staff to take “official action” that would hold vendors and schools accountable for providing obscene content to students.
“There is no reason our kids should have access to this inside our schools,” Walters said.
Almost a year ago, former Attorney General John O'Connor released a list of 54 books his office planned to review for possible violation of the state's obscenity law. O'Connor walked back the statement days later, saying he would not investigate and instead encouraged parents to contact local school boards and state lawmakers about library book concerns.
The former attorney general's list included classic novels, such as Toni Morrison's "The Bluest Eye" and John Steinbeck's "Of Mice and Men," and a number of books depicting LGBTQ+ perspectives.
O'Connor, whose office said it would continue to "evaluate and monitor the situation," lost to Gentner Drummond in last year's Republican primary for attorney general. Drummond went on to win the November general election.
"The Attorney General is committed to protecting children and enforcing the law, which among other provisions provides for local school boards and the state legislature to determine what materials are appropriate for students to access," Drummond's office said in a statement Friday.
Reporter Nuria Martinez-Keel covers K-12 and higher education throughout the state of Oklahoma. Have a story idea for Nuria? She can be reached at nmartinez-keel@oklahoman.com or on Twitter at @NuriaMKeel. Support Nuria’s work and that of other Oklahoman journalists by purchasing a digital subscription today at subscribe.oklahoman.com.
This article originally appeared on Oklahoman: Ryan Walters suggests penalty for schools with 'pornographic' material
