Walters announces lawsuit against Freedom From Religion Foundation over school prayer
State Superintendent Ryan Walters and the Oklahoma State Department of Education have filed a federal lawsuit against the Freedom From Religion Foundation, escalating a long-standing conflict over religion in public schools.
Filed Monday in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Oklahoma, the suit accuses the Wisconsin-based nonprofit of infringing on students' religious freedoms. It seeks an injunction to stop the nonprofit from reaching out to schools around Oklahoma, as well as attorneys’ fees and court costs.
The lawsuit stems from a letter the foundation sent to Achille Public Schools on behalf of a local parent. The parent raised concerns about Bible verses being read during class time and the district’s long-standing practice of beginning the school day with student-led prayer over the intercom. Achille is located in Bryan County, near Durant.
Walters argues the letter from the foundation violated federal and state protections for religious expression and seeks a court ruling that would bar the foundation from interfering in similar practices at Oklahoma schools.
“The Freedom From Religion Foundation has no stake in our schools, no authority over our communities, and absolutely no right,” Walters said in a press release. “Their threats are nothing more than a desperate attempt to erase faith from public life, and we will fight them at every turn.”
The nonprofit promotes the separation of church and state and educates the public on nontheism. It said it had not received the lawsuit before Walters sent out a press release touting it Monday afternoon.
“FFRF, as a defender of our Constitution, expects to continue our important work in Oklahoma regardless of frivolous lawsuits by Walters,” Patrick Elliott, the foundation’s legal director, said in a statement.
The organization has previously intervened in other Oklahoma schools. In 2023, Prague Elementary stopped broadcasting daily prayer following a letter from the foundation, and the group says it prevented school staff in Depew from imposing prayer during a Christmas play. In each case, the school districts cited compliance with the First Amendment as their reason for ending the practices.
The foundation is also part of a coalition suing Walters and the state education department over a separate matter — a plan to use taxpayer funds for classroom Bibles and Bible-based instructional materials. The Oklahoma Supreme Court temporarily blocked those expenditures earlier this year in response to a lawsuit brought by 32 Oklahoma families, educators and faith leaders.
Despite mounting legal pressure, Walters has continued advocating for what he calls the restoration of faith in schools. He has publicly supported inserting Christian content into academic standards, endorsed Bible displays in classrooms, and has repeatedly clashed with critics of religion in public education.
https://www.kosu.org/local-news/2025-04-01/walters-announces-lawsuit-against-freedom-from-religion-foundation-over-school-prayer
Filed Monday in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Oklahoma, the suit accuses the Wisconsin-based nonprofit of infringing on students' religious freedoms. It seeks an injunction to stop the nonprofit from reaching out to schools around Oklahoma, as well as attorneys’ fees and court costs.
The lawsuit stems from a letter the foundation sent to Achille Public Schools on behalf of a local parent. The parent raised concerns about Bible verses being read during class time and the district’s long-standing practice of beginning the school day with student-led prayer over the intercom. Achille is located in Bryan County, near Durant.
Walters argues the letter from the foundation violated federal and state protections for religious expression and seeks a court ruling that would bar the foundation from interfering in similar practices at Oklahoma schools.
“The Freedom From Religion Foundation has no stake in our schools, no authority over our communities, and absolutely no right,” Walters said in a press release. “Their threats are nothing more than a desperate attempt to erase faith from public life, and we will fight them at every turn.”
The nonprofit promotes the separation of church and state and educates the public on nontheism. It said it had not received the lawsuit before Walters sent out a press release touting it Monday afternoon.
“FFRF, as a defender of our Constitution, expects to continue our important work in Oklahoma regardless of frivolous lawsuits by Walters,” Patrick Elliott, the foundation’s legal director, said in a statement.
The organization has previously intervened in other Oklahoma schools. In 2023, Prague Elementary stopped broadcasting daily prayer following a letter from the foundation, and the group says it prevented school staff in Depew from imposing prayer during a Christmas play. In each case, the school districts cited compliance with the First Amendment as their reason for ending the practices.
The foundation is also part of a coalition suing Walters and the state education department over a separate matter — a plan to use taxpayer funds for classroom Bibles and Bible-based instructional materials. The Oklahoma Supreme Court temporarily blocked those expenditures earlier this year in response to a lawsuit brought by 32 Oklahoma families, educators and faith leaders.
Despite mounting legal pressure, Walters has continued advocating for what he calls the restoration of faith in schools. He has publicly supported inserting Christian content into academic standards, endorsed Bible displays in classrooms, and has repeatedly clashed with critics of religion in public education.
https://www.kosu.org/local-news/2025-04-01/walters-announces-lawsuit-against-freedom-from-religion-foundation-over-school-prayer
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