Department of Education seeks to revoke teaching license of former Norman teacher no longer working in Oklahoma
The Oklahoma State Department of Education (OSDE) has applied to revoke the teaching certificate of a former Norman teacher who resigned in Aug. 2022 after allegations of violating HB1775, also known as the anti-CRT law.
OKLAHOMA CITY (KFOR) - The Oklahoma State Department of Education (OSDE) has applied to revoke the teaching certificate of a former Norman teacher who resigned in Aug. 2022 after allegations of violating HB1775, also known as the anti-CRT law.
Summer Boismier voluntarily resigned her position as a Norman High School English teacher on August 24, 2022, after a parent filed a complaint with the district for violating the law by sharing a QR code to the Brooklyn Public Library's Books Unbanned program that gives nationwide access to books that have been banned in school districts.
At the time of the incident, Norman Public Schools said, “The concern centered on a Norman Public Schools teacher who, during class time, made personal, political statements and used their classroom to make a political display expressing those opinions.”
Oklahoma’s Secretary of Education and now-State Superintendent Ryan Walters sent a letter to OSDE calling for Boismier to lose her license.
“Ms. Boismier’s providing access to banned and pornographic material to students is unacceptable,” said Walters, in part of his statement posted to Twitter.
The accusation of providing “pornographic material” led to multiple vulgar messages and death threats hurled towards Boismier.
Several Republican lawmakers also signed a letter asking for the State Board of Education to investigate Boismier to find any potential violation of HB1775.
“How are you going to retain teachers when you are challenging their certification for simply providing access to information,” asked Boismier in August.
Weeks later, Nick Migliorino, Superintendent of Norman Public Schools said, “There was no violation of OK HB1775 or SDE rules nor was the issue about any books actually on the teacher’s shelves or the use of the public library QR code.”
Boismier has since moved to New York to work with the Brooklyn Public Library.
Now, OSDE has officially filed an application for the revocation of Boismier's Oklahoma teaching certificate for 'Violation of Standards for Teachers in Promoting Explicit Sexual Materials to Minors' and 'Unlawful Racist Instruction'.
OSDE told KFOR in August certificates are revoked only 15-20 times per year.
They are reserved for extreme offenses including:
- felony convictions
- child abuse
- inappropriate contact with a student or minor
- behavior against the code of conduct
- some violent crimes
"I was starting to find my footing, starting to step off the roller coaster ride on which I'd been stuck since August. I was excited about being finally able to exhale. It was then that I was notified the SDE 1,500 mi away in OK had moved to revoke my teaching certificate," said Boismier via Twitter. "If my OK cert is revoked, I won't be able to teach in the state where I was born, where I was educated, and where I was an educator for almost a decade. I won't be able to teach anywhere w/out facing considerable obstacles to re-certification. And for what?"