Lottery pick is newest rule change at OSDE board meeting

OKLAHOMA CITY (KFOR) - The Oklahoma State Department of Education kicked off the May meeting with some rule changes. Superintendent Ryan Walters said that paid activists are the reason why but didn't give evidence to prove that.

The most notable change was that public comment is now decided using a randomized lottery system in which ten names are picked.

"We have out-of-state activists that were paid to come in here and hijack these board meetings," Superintendent Walters claimed Thursday.

When asked what evidence or receipts he had for the paid out-of-state activists, he had none.

"You can go out there and look at all the signs that they have paid for and everything else," said Superintendent Walters. "I haven't heard the media asking questions about how these activists have tents that just get popped up. How they all come out here for days and camp out to push other people out."

Every monthly meeting has seemed to have some rule change or a different way of handling public commenters.

Last meeting a parent, Audra Beasley, was arrested for willful disruption after she spoke for public comment. She was told to leave and eventually did, but her young son had a turn to speak and was using his time to do so, so she waited for him. However, she would be arrested and booked into Oklahoma County Jail.

"Y'all are arresting me in front of my children. My kids are cryin' Ryan Walters," she yelled in handcuffs last meeting.

Many of the ten commentators from Thursday spoke about the incident.

"Why did y'all not stick around and look after her kids," asked Vice Mayor of The Village Sean Cummings.

Another difference was a waist-high barrier set between those set to speak during public comment and the board.

The month before that, commentators found an OHP Trooper tying an electrical cord on the inside of the Education building to keep people out— a safety hazard in times of an emergency.

"We're going to always try and make sure that we're being very accessible to the public," said Superintendent Walters on the changes.

Another change was found on the agenda, no purses or bags of any sort unless it was dire for someone's health.

The meeting carried on Thursday where the board suspended the teaching certifications of several educators including Cody Barlow.

Barlow was a Wewoka Middle School principal and youth pastor. He was formally charged in 2023 with two felony counts of lewd or indecent acts with a child under the age of 16 on Thursday.

The other educators who had their licenses suspended included John Boggs III, Stephen Gainor, Donald Holt, Tyler Patrick Mcgrew, Aron Wayne Pearcy, Floyd R Robinson, Jaelah Marche Rose, and Vernon Tyler Thetford.

Finally, the board agreed to set a date for Summer Boismer's revocation hearing and set it for June 27.

"It is very clear that we have paid protesters coming from out of state. We know where some of those funds come from, and I will share that information when I'm ready to share that information," said Superintendent Walters.