‘The law is on our side’: Lawsuit against Oklahoma Superintendent Walters dismissed

A judge has dismissed a lawsuit against Oklahoma Superintendent of Public Instruction Ryan Walters over accusations the state neglected to address bullying complaints.

The lawsuit, filed in November, was dismissed on March 6 because of a lack of evidence.

“Time and again, we have faced baseless attacks, and time and again, they have failed,” Walters said in a statement. “The law is on our side. This ruling affirms that we have met our responsibilities and will continue working to ensure the best outcomes for Oklahoma’s students and families.”

The plaintiff, a grandmother with custody of her two grandchildren, claimed they were badly bullied and the state department didn’t investigate her complaint.  

However, Walters said the lawsuit “mischaracterized” the state’s role in addressing bullying and that it did provide local schools with resources to combat such abuse. 

Walters had also been blamed by critics for the death of a reportedly non-binary student, Nex Benedict, who died after getting in a fight in the school bathroom. 

However, the autopsy ruled Benedict’s death a suicide by drug overdose.

Walters called the event a tragedy and said he wanted all students to be safe in school.  

The state superintendent has faced additional attacks for his shameless conservatism, which includes supporting the idea of a religious charter school, bringing the Bible and Ten Commandments back to Oklahoma schools and supporting President Trump’s education agenda. 

While bullying has always been an issue in United States public schools, student behavior has become noticeably worse in the past decade.  

The rise in school violence coincides with the push for “restorative justice,” which focuses on reconciliation rather than punishment. Rates of sexual violence, racial tensions, cyberbullying, students abusing teachers and “widespread disorder in classrooms” have also increased. 

One 74-year-old teacher from Indiana, for example, was given a gruesome black eye and other head injuries when a large male student attacked him.   

A Tennessee educator was pepper-sprayed for taking away a student’s phone, and a third teacher in Ohio was assaulted so violently she required “major brain surgery.”   

Other districts have seen violence so awful that parents tried to oust the superintendent, students organized walkouts, and school administrators even tried to call in the National Guard.