In July of 2024, the State Department of Education considered an order to suspend and then revoke Regan Killackey’s teaching certificate. At issue was a five-year-old photo of Killackey and his children at a costume shop. One child wore a Trump mask and another held up a plastic sword.
In September 2024, Walters re-posted a Libs of TikTok post with a photo of Killackey, alleging he was acting out stabbing President Donald Trump. Walters captioned his post with, “There is never a time that threatening a former president is appropriate. We will not tolerate it in Oklahoma schools.”
After a back-and-forth that lasted over a year, current superintendent Lindel Fields dismissed the revocation application. But Killackey alleges in a new lawsuit that Walters and the state department violated his due process rights and defamed him, among other claims.
Of the five claims, the suit first alleges Killackey was deprived of his property and liberty interests by the board of education in denying him a timely due process hearing. Second, the suit claims Killackey’s employment was adversely impacted and that he incurred damages.
Third, the lawsuit lists six points in the licensure revocation process it alleges points to abuse of process, including willfully failing to comply with a subpoena and failing to provide Killackey with proper notice that the board was taking emergency action on his teaching certificate.
Fourth, the suit alleges defamation and slander against Walters for his social media post and again for the state department in publishing a report that Killackey’s photo showed a “factitious stabbing of fake presidential candidate Trump.”
And fifth, the suit alleges the defendants’ “intentional and reckless conduct” caused severe emotional distress.
“Defendants’ actions… were so extreme, outrageous and offensive as to go beyond all possible bounds of decency and to be regarded as atrocious and utterly intolerable in a civilized society,” the lawsuit said.
Killackey is suing for damages in excess of $75,000.
Killackey’s attorney and the state department did not return requests for comment.
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