Ryan Walters sets new rules for public comments at board of education meetings

Oklahoma Schools Superintendent Ryan Walters said Wednesday he is changing the policy on public comments at Oklahoma State Board of Education meetings.

Interest in the meeting, relatively low in previous years, has increased since Walters was elected in 2022.

Walters, a Republican, held office for a controversial year and a half, criticizing school districts across the state for their academic performance, accusing some of them of going too far in teaching about diversity, equity and inclusion, and accusing others of did not follow the rules to keep books containing content they consider inappropriate out of their libraries.

Monthly board meetings were held in a room too small to accommodate those wishing to attend, and members of the media must answer this question to secure a seat. Requests to change the meeting location were ignored, and queues often formed hours before meetings were scheduled to start. Starting in November, public comments are limited to the first 10 people who put their names on the registration sheet.

State Schools Superintendent Ryan Walters speaks during the April 25 meeting of the Oklahoma State Board of Education at the Capitol.

Critics of Ryan Walters often show up the night before board meetings

In recent months, Walters’ critics began showing up the night before the meeting, long before his supporters, and the critics dominated that portion of the meeting. In April, Walters moved public comments to the end of the meeting, essentially forcing those who signed up to speak to wait hours for presentations and policy discussions.

Now Walters has gone a step further, placing a special note on the agenda for Wednesday’s May meeting that reads: “Speakers who will submit public comments will be selected at random and their number will be limited. Backpacks, purses, unless necessary for health care, child care or ADA purposes, and similar items are not permitted in the State Department of Education building during Board meetings.”

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In a separate section of the agenda is a standard statement that is often ignored and, until recently, unenforced: “For all public comments, at the sole discretion of the Board Chair, the deadline may be extended. In addition, the Chairman of the Board may interrupt and/or terminate any presentation during public comment… The Chairman of the Board reserves and retains the right to interrupt, terminate or adjourn public comment as necessary to ensure the orderly conduct of the public meeting.”

One organization that frequently attends board meetings is the Human Rights Campaign.

Cathryn Oakley, the group’s senior director of legal policy, said it was an “abusive” act.

“Ryan Walters promised he would never back down, so why is he abandoning the usual public comment process at state Board of Education meetings and instead hand-picking the public testimony he wants to hear?” Oakley asked.

“His so-called commitment to transparency is as poor as his courage – because abusers don’t like to be held accountable. Walters once again demonstrates his extreme inability to meet the needs of Oklahoma students and once again puts his own ego and political ambitions first in the basis of doing his job. Walters needs to explain to Oklahomans why he feels he doesn’t need to listen to their concerns.”

Dan Isett, Walters’ chief spokesman, said the changes were made to “ensure public availability.” He presented a statement from Walters, saying: “For months, we have witnessed organized activists attempting to monopolize public access to our open meetings. This ends today.

More:Why a Moore student wants a protective order against State Superintendent Ryan Walters

Isett said that to ensure everyone has an “equal opportunity to have their voices heard,” the sign-up form for public comment will be completed at 8:15 a.m. on meeting days and at 9:25 a.m., five minutes before the meeting is scheduled to start. He said there would be no limit on the number of people who could register, and a computer “randomizer” would select 10 people from a list to speak.

The announcement also noted that the ban on carrying backpacks, handbags and similar items was intended to “ensure the safety of everyone present.” It is unclear what security issues have come up at board meetings in recent months because many Oklahoma Highway Patrol troopers who provide security at meetings have not checked backpacks carried by members of the media for at least the past eight months.

But at an April board meeting, six patrol troopers arrested, handcuffed and escorted Oklahoma City woman Audra Beasley from the room, leaving audience members to tend to their children. She refused to leave the podium after her speaking time expired. Beasley, who has long advocated for the installation of adult changing tables in public buildings, did not act aggressively, but, turning to the board, he threw a small plastic folding table against a glass-covered plank table.

A spokesman for the Oklahoma attorney general’s office said it appears Walters’ meeting restrictions are “permissible under the law” because board meetings do not require public comment. Oklahoma State University professor Joey Senat, an expert in media law and open government, said the rules appear to be in the spirit of “open meetings” because speakers will be randomly selected rather than hand-selected by a board or agency. But he added that not holding meetings in a room large enough to accommodate those who want to attend is contrary to that spirit.