The Oklahoma Supreme Court temporarily blocked the state from purchasing Bibles for Oklahoma classrooms.
A court order issued Monday, March 10, bars Superintendent of Public Instruction Ryan Walters, the Department of Education, the Board of Education and the Office of Management and Enterprise Services from further implementing or enforcing Walters’ Bible mandate until a lawsuit over the Bibles is resolved.
The order applies to the 55,000 King James Bibles sought by the state last year as well as an effort initiated last month to buy biblical character instruction manuals.
A group of parents, students, teachers and faith leaders sued Oct. 17, challenging the Bible mandate under the state constitution, which prohibits public money from being spent for religious purposes.
The Office of Management and Enterprise Services, the state’s central purchasing agency, asked the court for an order allowing it to stop work on the request for proposals until the legal issues are resolved.
The state abruptly halted the purchase of 55,000 Bibles in November, but Walters has vowed to restart it. Bidding on the biblical character materials was set to go through March 20. In July, Walters told school leaders they must teach the Bible for its historical context, literary significance, and artistic and musical influence and place a Bible in every classroom.
“The Bible has been a cornerstone of our nation’s history and education for generations,” Walters said Tuesday. “We will continue fighting to ensure students have access to this foundational text in the classroom.”
Oklahoma law already allows Bibles in the classroom and enables teachers to use them in instruction, as long as they maintain religious neutrality and accommodate other religious perspectives.
After an Oklahoma Senate subcommittee on March 5 rebuffed Walters’ budget request for $3 million to buy Bibles, Walters announced an initiative to collect donations of $59.99 faux leather bound “God Bless the USA” Bibles through a partnership with singer Lee Greenwood. Those Bibles are endorsed by President Donald Trump, who receives money from sales for his endorsement.
