Oklahoma to Drop Plan to Keep Bibles in All Public School Classrooms

The state’s new superintendent intends to withdraw the Bible mandate to resolve a lawsuit challenging it.

Several versions of the Bible, including “The Action Bible” and “Children’s Bible.” Scott Olson/Getty Images

Oklahoma’s new K–12 education chief no longer plans to require public schools to place Bibles in classrooms or integrate biblical teachings, reversing course from his predecessor who led a campaign to keep a Christian perspective in public education.

State Superintendent Lindel Fields, who took office this month to replace Ryan Walters, indicated on Oct. 15 he will not defend in court Walters’s order directing all Oklahoma public schools to incorporate the Bible in social studies curricula and keep a copy of it in every classroom.

A lawsuit filed with the Oklahoma Supreme Court last October challenged that order, along with Walters’s proposal to spend an initial $3 million in taxpayer funds to buy 55,000 King James Version Bibles for schools. On Oct. 14 this year, the court acknowledged that Walters’s departure “may ultimately lead to resolution” of the pending case, and gave Fields until Oct. 28 to decide whether or not to settle the dispute by withdrawing the Bible directives.

“Superintendent Fields has no plans to distribute Bibles or a biblical character ed curriculum,” Tara Thompson, spokesperson for the Oklahoma Department of Education, said at an Oct. 15 press briefing. “We intend to file a motion to dismiss the proceedings.”

Thompson added that most schools already give students access to the Bible through their libraries, either in paper or digital format. She also said that Fields believes decisions about incorporating biblical content should be left to individual districts rather than imposed through a statewide mandate.

“I think it’s less about taking a stance and more about giving control back to the local school,” she said.

Fields assumed office after Walters resigned on Sept. 30 to become CEO of the Teacher Freedom Alliance, a newly formed nonprofit that presents itself as an alternative to long-established teachers’ unions. Oklahoma Gov. Kevin Stitt appointed Fields on Oct. 2 to serve the remaining 15 months of Walters’s term.

Walters, who created an Office of Religious Liberty and Patriotism to counter what he called “radical leftist” efforts to suppress faith and patriotism in schools, said he was disappointed by the reversal.

“I could not be more disappointed in the decision to move away from empowering our teachers in Oklahoma to use a foundational document like the Bible in the classroom,” he wrote in a post on X. “The war on Christianity is real.”

Under a social studies guideline Walters introduced in July, students in grades 5 through 12 were to study biblical stories for their literary and cultural influence on Western civilization lessons. High school students were required to write essays on the Bible’s role in literature, history, and culture, and students were to analyze works of art and music inspired by biblical themes.

Every classroom was also required to display physical copies of the Bible, the U.S. Constitution, the Declaration of Independence, and the Ten Commandments.

“The Bible is indispensable in understanding the development of Western civilization and American history,” Walters said in a statement at that time. “To ensure our students are equipped to understand and contextualize our nation, its culture, and its founding, every student in Oklahoma will be taught the Bible in its historical, cultural, and literary context. As we implement these standards, our schools will maintain open communication with parents to make sure they are fully informed and full partners in their kids’ education.”

The lawsuit challenging the directive was filed by dozens of Oklahoma parents, students, teachers, and faith leaders, who contended that the state failed to follow procedures for purchasing and rulemaking and that neither the Education Department nor the Legislature had changed academic standards to justify the new policy.

Many of them also said that state-mandated Bible instruction would undermine their families’ non-Christian or non-religious teachings at home.

Attorneys representing the plaintiffs said they are “encouraged” by the new development and are discussing next steps with their clients. The legal team includes Americans United for Separation of Church and State, the American Civil Liberties Union, the Freedom From Religion Foundation, and the Oklahoma Appleseed Center for Law and Justice.

“The promise of separation of church and state guaranteed by the U.S. and Oklahoma constitutions means that families and students—not politicians—get to decide when and how to engage with religion,” they said in a joint statement to multiple media outlets. “The attempts to promote religion in the classroom and the abuses of power that the Oklahoma State Department of Education engaged in under Walters’ tenure should never happen in Oklahoma or anywhere in the United States again.”

Prior to his resignation, Walters purchased more than 500 Bibles to give to AP government classes.