What Will Ryan Walters Do Next?

An Unscientific Poll

Ryan, Ryan, Ryan.

Oklahoma State Superintendent of Public Instruction, Ryan Walters, has made national headlines again. The notion of “there’s no such thing as bad publicity” does not, in this case, hold water.

Walters has aggressively characterized himself as Oklahoma’s MAGA Supporter-in-Chief, Christian Nationalist-in-Chief, and Thrower-of-the-First-Stone-in-Chief throughout his tenure. The rabid fervor of his political ambitions is well known. The moral posturing. The loud denouncements of secular education. The spouting of anti- “woke” platitudes. He has staked claim as poster child for defending Moral Character.

And financial malfeasance. And self-promotion at taxpayer expense. And hiring cronies who may or may not be ghost employees, again at taxpayer expense. And drawing multiple legitimate lawsuits defended —you guessed it— at taxpayer expense.

One of the weapons he has freely wielded is the stripping of professional credentials from teachers who do not support his lunatic fringe agenda.

How the tables have turned.

“He’s in Executive Session” Takes on a Whole New Meaning

News has quickly spread that an apparent skin flick featuring nude women was playing in an adjoining room during an executive session of the State Board of Education this past Thursday. The adjoining room, word has it, is Walters’ own office.

To her credit, board member Becky Carson called Walters on it in real time, pointing at the television set and demanding he turn it off. Ryan Deatherage, another board member whose seat gave him a view of the tv screen, would describe the video images as “retro,” and involving what appeared to be “a chiropractic table.” One can only imagine the spinal adjustments about to play out on screen.)

Reportedly flustered, Walters stepped away from the meeting. He was seen in the next room struggling to turn off the movie, in which women’s nipples and pubic hair were exposed in full frontal glory.

One imagines him shaking the remote in exasperation, pointing it at the screen from different angles and punching various buttons in a panic.

Finally figuring out how to switch it off, Walters returned to the meeting and blandly picked up where he’d left off.

No apologies. No explanations. No “We’ll get to the bottom of this to see who is responsible.” No “This is entirely unacceptable in the workplace, much less a state agency.” Not even an “I thought I’d logged off!” Just a blank, awkward expression and resumption of the meeting as if nothing had happened. Like, “OK, where were we?”

Way to go, Ryan.

Board members Carson and Deatherage spoke with reporters afterwards. Deatherage told them he favors Walters having his teaching certificate suspended pending full investigation of possible “moral turpitude.” He also said he reported the incident to the Speaker of the House of Representatives. This is the state official with authority to hold the Superintendent accountable.

Through such measures as impeachment, for instance.

Walters’ defensive response to what Carson and Deatherage say they saw? “Some of these board members are blatantly dishonest and cannot hide their political agenda.”

So here we are. I make no assumptions, truly, about how this weird turn of events actually happened, right here in the real world. That said, I pose a question to you, readers, about the political future of Ryan Walters.

Will he…..?

a. immediately resign to accept an appointment in the Trump administration
b. provide a full-throated denial that it ever happened, perhaps using a sock puppet
c. declare himself sexually liberated, celebrating the joys of the human body
d. claim the “woke mob” somehow infiltrated his office to orchestrate this outrage
e. turn himself in for self-deportation…in drag
f. do something else (specify)

Let me know your thoughts in the comments!

Oh, and please demand an impeachment investigation, which Rep. Cyndi Munson, Democratic Leader in the House, has called for.

FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION on the debacle of Ryan Walters’ performance as Oklahoma’s top education official, I encourage you to read this report from Oklahoma Appleseed, a non-profit organization that focuses on education policy:
Gross Misconduct: A Comprehensive Compilation of Ryan Walters’ Misdeeds in Office

Image: screen shot from The Rolling Stone political news page.

This post was updated on July 27, 2025.