OKLAHOMA CITY, Okla. — Oklahoma State Superintendent Ryan Walters announced the establishment of the Office of Religious Liberty and Patriotism at the State Department of Education.

The purpose of the office is stated to be the promotion of patriotism and religious liberty alongside the protection of parents, teachers and students’ ability to freely practice their religion in all aspects.

“For decades our nation’s public schools have tragically been ground zero for the erosion of religious liberty across our country,” stated Walters. “The radical left never misses a chance to co-opt the teacher unions and their minions to indoctrinate our children against traditional values of faith and family, seeking to attack any display of faith or religion or patriotism. It is no coincidence that the dismantling of faith and family values in public schools directly correlates with declining academic outcomes in our public schools. In Oklahoma, we are reversing this negative trend and, working with the incoming Trump Administration, we are going to aggressively pursue education policies that will improve academic outcomes and give our children a better future.”

All investigations of abuses to individual religious freedom or displays of patriotism will be overseen by the new office.

The office also intends to support teachers and students when their constitutional rights are reported to have been violated by well-funded groups from outside of Oklahoma.

In Walters’ statement, he cites an incident that occurred in Skiatook last year where a Wisconsin-based organization called Freedom From Religion Foundation sent a two-page letter protesting the hanging of signs with Bible quotes in Skiatook Public Schools classrooms. Eventually, the signs in the classrooms were taken down.

In this new statement, Walters upheld what he said at the time regarding the situation in Skiatook.

His statement from that incident read in part, “The removal of Bible verses from display in Skiatook under the threat of a baseless lawsuit is unacceptable. The Constitution guarantees, and the Supreme Court has affirmed in Kennedy v. Bremerton, the right of teachers to religious freedom and expression. American citizens do not give up their right to practice their faith at the schoolhouse door or anywhere else.”

The current statement Walters released writes the following about the Office of Religious Liberty and Patriotism being in line with President-Elect Trump’s “Freedom to Pray” education priority:

“President Trump has proven his commitment to champion the right to pray in schools, working to ensure that to receive federal funds, local educational agencies must confirm that their policies do not prevent or interfere with constitutionally protected rights. Oklahoma is and will do all in its capacity to ensure that both student and teacher’s right to prayer are protected and upheld.”

Walters intends to release more information about the State Department of Education’s plans to distribute resources to uphold the principles President-Elect Trump outlined in his Agenda 47 titled “Ten Principles for Great Schools Leading to Great Jobs.”

Walters also stated guidance will be issued in the upcoming days on what schools must do to ensure the right to pray in schools is safeguarded.