Freedom Oklahoma Statement on Latest State Board of Education Rule Change
May 22, 2024
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Freedom Oklahoma Statement on Latest State Board of Education Rule Change
Oklahoma City, OK – When the State Board of Education Meeting Agenda for the May 23 meeting was posted in advance of the meeting in compliance with the Open Meetings Act, Oklahomans learned that for the second time in as many months, the process related to making comment at the meeting has changed. In response to the newest changes, Freedom Oklahoma issued the following statement:
The following is attributable to Nicole McAfee, they/she, Freedom Oklahoma Executive Director:
“It is a true shame to see the State Board of Education continually reduce access to receive public comment. This latest policy, choosing an unnamed number of speakers at random, to conform to procedures not explicitly outlined, while also giving Ryan Walters discretion to interrupt people’s comments, or end public comment altogether, feels especially convenient as schools across the state are out for summer, and students and educators may actually have opportunities to try and address the board,” said Nicole McAfee, Executive Director of Freedom Oklahoma. “Now, folks have to arrive early, hope they can access the sign up sheet before it is pulled, and wait through the entirety of the meeting in hopes of maybe being ‘randomly’ selected to speak, for an unknown amount of time. Walters has already severely limited access, as compared with previous administrations, for members of the public to be able to express their concerns, with disproportionate barriers to access for disabled folks, and people who live outside the Oklahoma City metro area. This newest policy only proves Ryan Walters is unwilling to let the public be heard on the record, for fear they might eclipse his latest round of inflammatory talking points. Our students, our teachers, and Oklahoma families deserve better.”
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Pronouns:
Nicole McAfee, they/she
Freedom Oklahoma is the state's only dedicated 2SLGBTQ+ advocacy organization and works each day to build a future where all 2SLGBTQ+ people have the safety to thrive. You can learn more about Freedom Oklahoma at https://www.freedomoklahoma.org/.
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