Oklahoma parents and teachers sue to stop top education official’s classroom Bible mandate

Associated Press

OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) — A group of Oklahoma parents, teachers and ministers are suing to stop the state’s top education official from forcing schools to incorporate the Bible into their lesson plans. The lawsuit filed Thursday with the Oklahoma Supreme Court also asks the court to stop State Superintendent Ryan Walters from spending $3 million to purchase Bibles in support of his mandate. The plaintiffs include parents of public school children across the state, as well as four public school teachers. They are represented by several civil rights groups. The suit alleges that the mandate from Walters violates the Oklahoma Constitution because it involves spending public money to support religion and favors one religion over another.