Walters seeks account of diversity training spending
State schools Superintendent Ryan Walters ordered Oklahoma’s top higher education official to account for “every dollar” spent on teaching diversity, equity and inclusion, a continuation of his campaign rhetoric in which he regularly criticized schools for teaching complex issues of racial history and for encouraging student sensitivity toward issues of race, gender and sexuality.
Walters issued the order this week in a letter to Chancellor Allison Garrett, who oversees the Oklahoma State Regents for Higher Education, which is composed of dozens of state colleges and universities.
“Please provide a full outline and review of every dollar that has been spent over the last ten years on diversity, equity, inclusion,” Walters wrote in his letter, which also asked for a list of all related programs and the materials used.
“These items must be submitted for review on or before February 1st, 2023.”
The letter was first reported by the Tulsa World. The Oklahoma State Regents for Higher Education plans to comply with the request.
“We are working with our state system colleges and universities to compile the information requested,” said Angela Caddell, associate vice chancellor for communications.
On Tuesday, the Oklahoma State Department of Education confirmed the letter and said Walters wants “to fully understand the extent of indoctrination happening in higher education,” according to a spokesperson for the agency.
The agency did not respond to a question about the superintendent’s ability to make such demands.
Rep. Jacob Rosecrants, D-Norman, called Walters’ letter “dangerous” and a byproduct of a bill passed in 2021 that attempted to ban critical race theory.
House Bill 1775 bans the teaching that one race or gender is superior to another, but critics believe it has been used to attack any effort by educators to teach accurate history or encourage student sensitivity toward issues of race, gender and sexuality.
“Under 1775 I think (Walters) feels like he has some type of mandate to do these things and this is why that (law) is so dangerous,” Rosecrants told The Oklahoman.