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Oklahoma Schools Chief Faces Criminal Probe Over Nude Images at Board Meeting

The state’s human resources agency has referred the case to the county sheriff’s office following reports of nude footage on an office TV during a closed Board session, prompting Republican lawmakers to demand that Walters unlock his devices.

FILE - Oklahoma Superintendent of Public Instruction Ryan Walters speaks during a special state Board of Education meeting, April 12, 2023, in Oklahoma City. (AP Photo/Sue Ogrocki, File)
Ryan Walters in Oklahoma City in  2022.
Photo of someone running though the air to reach a computer.
Oklahoma State Superintendent Ryan Walters leaves the Oklahoma State Board of Education meeting on April 25, 2024 in Oklahoma City.

Overview

  • Two State Board of Education members, Ryan Deatherage and Becky Carson, reported seeing images of nude women streaming on a television in Walters’ office during a closed-door meeting.
  • The Office of Management and Enterprise Services referred the matter to the Oklahoma County Sheriff’s Office, which has opened a preliminary criminal investigation.
  • Walters issued a statement on social media denying any knowledge of the content and calling the allegations “categorically false” and politically motivated.
  • House Speaker Kyle Hilbert and Senate President Pro Tem Lonnie Paxton have urged Walters to unlock and turn over all relevant devices to ensure full transparency.
  • Some analysts suggest the footage may have originated from a device previously paired to the office television rather than from Walters himself.