As previously reported, in October suit was filed by public school parents, teachers and by clergy challenging Oklahoma's requirement for all public schools to incorporate the Bible in their curricula. The suit was filed in the Oklahoma Supreme Court asking it to assume original jurisdiction because of the importance and time-sensitiveness of the case. The suit was filed against the State Superintendent of Education, the State Board of Education, the State Office of Management and Enterprise Services (OMES), and personnel of each agency. OMES processes purchasing requests by state agencies. At the request of the petitioners as well as by OMES, the Oklahoma Supreme Court in Walke v. Walters, (OK Sup. Ct., March 10, 2025), issued an Order (full text) staying any work by OMES on any new request by the Department of Education for the purchase of Bibles as well as staying OMES's work on a pending Request for Proposals on Biblical Character Instruction. The Court however deferred until a later stage in the case petitioners' request for a stay on implementing in its entirety the state's Bible Education Mandate. Oklahoma Public Radio reports on the Court's order.
