Two Oklahoma schools undergoing investigations for alleged abuse 

Allegations of abuse have rocked two school districts in Oklahoma, prompting the state’s Department of Education to open investigations into each case. 

The latest investigation concerned Hugo Public Schools, where five employees have been placed on administrative leave, according to KFOR TV. 

“The school district is conducting an internal investigation and cooperating with law enforcement,” wrote Brandy Blalock, the district’s superintendent, in a statement posted Jan. 31. 

“Because this is a personnel matter, I am unable to share additional information at this time. … There is nothing more important to Hugo Public Schools than the well-being of our students.” 

Just a day before, the education department had announced a separate investigation alleging “repeated infractions” at Okmulgee High School, according to KFOR. 

The complaints ranged from teacher misconduct and a lack of appropriate disciplinary action to financial impropriety, State Superintendent Ryan Walters posted on his X account. 

“I am deeply troubled by the allegations that have surfaced at Okmulgee High School,” he said in a release. “OSDE is meticulously reviewing multiple allegations that were simultaneously received through our Awareity system, and we will take immediate action to ensure that our students are protected.” 

Bibles, borders and books 

The Sooner State has made national headlines surrounding recent educational initiatives, including state-purchased Bibles, lawsuits against “failed border policies” and discussion of sexually explicit books in classrooms. 

As previously reported by The Lion, Walters drew liberal criticism by purchasing more than 500 “God Bless the USA” Bibles and founding the Department of Religious Freedom and Patriotism within the education department. 

The state also sued the federal government in January, seeking “compensation for the severe financial and operational strain that their failed border policies have placed on Oklahoma’s public schools.” 

More than 6,000 Oklahoman students are designated as limited in English proficiency, which will require “an additional 1,065 properly certified teachers in the next 5 years” to address, according to the lawsuit. 

Meanwhile, the Edmond Public Schools district came under fire last year for keeping “The Glass Castle,” a sexually explicit book, in its high school library despite parental objections. 

“It’s really not for our son that we’re here,” said one objector, Brent Larsen. “It’s for other parents that don’t have the time to go through these books. There’s dozens of these books.” 

Walters condemned the district’s decision, arguing such books violated his department’s rules against pornographic and sexualized content in school libraries. 

“Edmond Public Schools is fighting to keep pornography on their shelves,” he said in a video posted to X. “Even the liberal media will not even read the lines from the books in Edmond Public Schools on air. It’s that bad. It’s that sexually explicit.” 

Media credit: screenshot / KOCO