Violation of Open Meeting Act? OSBE meeting packed Wednesday

OKLAHOMA CITY ( KFOR ) – The State Department of Education possibly violated the state’s Open Meeting Act Wednesday during their monthly board meeting, among other things that happened.

“They discussed them because they all had their motions in order they all knew what to say,” said Senator Mary Boren (D-Norman).

Senator Boren was one of three legislators who showed up Wednesday wanting to participate in the Oklahoma State Board of Education’s (OSBE) closed executive session.

The agenda showed that the board was expected to vote to go into closed session, vote on whether they would allow the legislators in the closed session, open the meeting to discuss, and then vote to go back into closed session.

The legislators wanted to be a part of the closed session because the board was set to discuss the proper steps to revoke the teacher certifications for four teachers, Allison Scott, Regan Killackey, Scott Renken, and Anthony Deason.

But that doesn’t appear to be what happened, instead, the Senator said they voted to go into closed executive session and never opened it back up. If that is the case, she said that is violating the Open Meeting Act.

“That’s extremely concerning to me,” said Senator Boren.

It’s disturbing that the superintendent and board continue to ignore the law that clearly allows legislators to observe their executive sessions, even after Attorney General Gentner Drummond’s Office has stated they must. In addition, they did not follow their published agenda. I believe a violation of the Open Meetings Act has occurred, nullifying those votes.

Senator Mary Boren (D-Norman)

At a presser after the meeting Oklahoma State Superintendent Ryan Walters when asked about not letting legislators into closed session said, “I’ve got left-wing democrats like Mary (Boren) who want to come in and make it where we can’t remove pedophiles from the classroom.”

In the end, the board voted to get the ball rolling on revoking the teacher certifications for the four teachers. The next step would be that a hearing officer look over the application for revocation.

The Oklahoma Attorney General’s Office is concerned that is exactly what OSBE did.

We are very concerned by what appeared to be a willful violation of the Open Meeting Act. Our office will look further into the matter and take appropriate action.

The Office of Oklahoma’s Attorney General

When asked for OSDE to respond to the Attorney General’s Office OSDE Spokesman Dan Isett gave KFOR a quote from Chief Police Advisor Matt Langston.

“I don’t know what the Democrats told the Attorney General, but they are liars. Nor do we know why the Attorney General would listen or believe them. No violations occurred. Democrats do get sensitive when they have to own the fact they are protecting pedophiles, people who want to assassinate Trump, and promote indoctrination.”

Matt Langston, Chief Police Advisor for OSDE

A lot more happened during Wednesday’s meeting such as Superintendent Walter’s claiming that the districts who spoke out after his Bible mandate were doing so because they don’t “agree with the Bible.”

“Some of our worst acting districts have come out and said they’re not gonna teach history,” said Walters. “They’re not going to teach the Bible because they don’t agree with it.”

However, that isn’t what school districts said to us before.

“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,” said the June 27 memorandum from Walters.

Bixby Public Schools, Norman Public Schools, and many others have said they will follow state law which doesn’t line up with what Walters mandated.

Superintendent Walters also discussed illegal immigration affecting schools and said that he would direct schools to begin looking at the cost that might be associated with that. He said that illegal immigration is affecting Oklahoma schools but didn’t name which ones specifically.

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