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Oklahoma agency examines Walters’s TV, OSBI and county law enforcement launch formal probes

State Superintendent Ryan Walters at an April 24, 2025 State Board of Education meeting.
Beth Wallis
/
StateImpact Oklahoma
State Superintendent Ryan Walters at an April 24, 2025 State Board of Education meeting.

Amid the controversy from allegations of nude women on State Superintendent Ryan Walters’ office television, the Office of Management and Enterprise Services has new details on the specs of the TV and a law enforcement probe is expanding.

According to a letter distributed to lawmakers, first reported by NonDoc and confirmed by StateImpact, OMES said it is not a law enforcement agency and has no authority to investigate the issue. After consulting with the Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation, OMES requested a probe from the Oklahoma County Sheriff's Office.

Now, Oklahoma County District Attorney Vicki Behenna has formally requested the OSBI investigate as well. A spokesperson for the bureau said the OSBI and the sheriff’s office are coordinating with each other.

OMES also said Walters contacted its office to examine the TV.

Despite Walters saying in a press conference Tuesday that OMES has proven it would be "impossible" for the incident to have happened because it is a cable TV, the letter said it also had streaming services and was connected to the state's open Wi-Fi, as well as an empty DVD player and a dipole antenna.

A one-time passcode was required to access casting to the TV, limiting the number of people who could have cast to it.

The TV previously belonged to a former state department employee and, according to the report, was relocated to Walters' office earlier this month. The employee's account was still connected to YouTube TV, but under a new IP address.

The report said the search history on the TV was empty, but given the hundreds of preloaded apps on the TV, it was not given a full review.

OMES said it was informed that Walters' office uses hot spots to connect to devices during board meetings, but that information has not been independently verified. It noted that OMES is only able to monitor state networks.

It concluded that, at this time, it cannot determine whether the alleged incident took place.

StateImpact Oklahoma is a partnership of Oklahoma’s public radio stations which relies on contributions from readers and listeners to fulfill its mission of public service to Oklahoma and beyond. Donate online.

Beth reports on education topics for StateImpact Oklahoma.
StateImpact Oklahoma reports on education, health, environment, and the intersection of government and everyday Oklahomans. It's a reporting project and collaboration of KGOU, KOSU, KWGS and KCCU, with broadcasts heard on NPR Member stations.
Graycen Wheeler is a reporter covering water issues at KOSU.
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