Yes.
In January 2024 Ryan Walters appointed right-wing social media influencer Chaya Raichik, whose posts are believed to have sparked at least 21 bomb threats, to the OSDE’s Library Media Advisory Committee, which makes suggestions on school library materials.
The former New York real estate agent’s account posted an edited video of a Tulsa public school librarian claiming to “push her woke agenda”, which was reposted by Walters and led to consecutive days of bomb threats to Union Public Schools in 2023.
The video excluded the librarian’s caption, where she defined her “woke agenda” as “teaching kids to love books and be kind.”
Announcing Raichik’s appointment, Walters said that Raichik was “showing the world exactly what the radical left is about – lowering standards, porn in schools, and pushing woke indoctrination on our kids.” Under Walters, the OSDE has changed the grading and standards of state tests, artificially boosting student proficiency rates without actual academic gains.
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Sources
- Oklahoma State Department of Education Walters Names Chaya Raichik of “Libs of TikTok” to Library Media Advisory Committee
- NBC News After Libs of TikTok posted, at least 21 bomb threats followed
- Associated Press Oklahoma superintendent faces blowback for putting Libs of TikTok creator on library panel
- Ryan Walters "X.com" account X.com (Twitter)
- Oklahoma Voice Oklahoma’s education department quietly made changes that will cause big jumps in state test scores
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