Friday, board members Ryan Deatherage and Becky Carson told NonDoc and The Oklahoman that during the executive session of Thursday’s State Board of Education meeting, they witnessed images of nude women on a TV in Walters’ office.
According to the reports, Carson demanded the television be shut off. Walters struggled to turn it off, and did not address it or apologize once it was off.
Deatherage told NonDoc Walters should be held accountable, noting if he was treated like any other teacher, “we would probably pull his [teaching] certificate and put him on his own list.”
The Tulsa World reported a third board member, Chris VanDenhende, had his back to the TV, but confirmed Walters turned it off when asked and “seemed shaken.”
House Democratic Leader Cyndi Munson (D-Oklahoma City) called for new leadership at the state department, “regardless of if recent allegations are true.”
“While we wait for more information, we will follow the guidance of the Speaker and trust that any alleged moral or criminal wrongdoings will be thoroughly investigated.”
Oklahoma House Speaker Kyle Hilbert (R-Bristow) called for an investigation in a Friday afternoon news release.
“These are serious allegations made by two members of the State Board and an expeditious third-party review is warranted,” Hilbert said. “I urge the State Superintendent to turn over all relevant devices and fully cooperate with an investigation. If no wrongdoing occurred, a prompt and transparent review should quickly clear his name.”
Senate Pro Tem Lonnie Paxton (R-Tuttle) and Senate Education Chair Adam Pugh (R-Edmond) said an investigation inquiry is being led by the Office of Management and Enterprise Services.
Paxton says the accounts by the board members “paint a strange, unsettling scene that demands clarity and transparency.”
“More transparency is essential before strong conclusions can be drawn,” Paxton said.
UPDATE:
Quinton Hitchcock, a spokesperson for Walters, told NonDoc and The Oklahoman Friday the story was a “junk tabloid lie,” calling the State Board of Education a “hostile board who will say and do anything except tell the truth.”
Sunday afternoon, Walters released a statement denouncing the alleged incident as an “absurd, false and gutter political attack from a desperate, failing establishment.”
“Any suggestion that a device of mine was used to stream inappropriate content on the television set is categorically false,” Walters said. “I have no knowledge of what was on the TV screen during the alleged incident, and there is absolutely no truth to any implication of wrongdoing.”
Asked to clarify if Walters meant the board members made false allegations, Walters’ press team did not respond before publication.
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