The Oklahoma State Superintendent has formally reversed a controversial policy that would have required Bibles in every public school classroom and mandated biblical instruction across curricula. The new decision releases school districts from the previous directive and returns control over religious education to local authorities.
The earlier mandate, issued under a prior superintendent, sparked backlash from educators, parents, and civil rights groups who argued that it violated constitutional boundaries and imposed religious practices in public schools. Under that order, schools were to stock classrooms with Bibles and integrate biblical teaching into lessons, supposedly in service of moral education.
When the newly sworn-in superintendent took office, he inherited widespread concern and legal uncertainty. Over his first weeks, he held meetings with school leaders, legal advisors, community stakeholders, and civil liberties advocates. He heard complaints from teachers uneasy about being asked to teach religious doctrine, from parents alarmed by the potential for coercion, and from districts that had struggled with how or whether to obey the prior order.
In a statement issued late last week, the superintendent rescinded the requirement. He said that placing Bibles in classrooms would no longer be mandated, and that districts will not be forced to incorporate biblical instruction beyond what they already offer via elective religious studies, history, or literature courses. He said he wants to ensure that any treatment of religion in public schools is neutral, voluntary, and compliant with constitutional principles.
With the reversal, individual school districts regain authority to decide whether and how to include religious texts in elective courses, but they will no longer face state coercion. Students cannot be compelled to participate in religious instruction or required to engage with sacred texts in general classrooms. The superintendent emphasized that the state’s role is to uphold academic integrity and protect students’ rights, not to promote any particular faith.
Reactions across the state were swift. Many educators welcomed the change as a relief from the untenable pressures of the prior order. Some religious and conservative groups criticized the reversal as a retreat from moral education, arguing that faith should hold a stronger role in public life. Advocates for civil rights saw the decision as a reaffirmation of constitutional protections for religious freedom and against government imposition of religion.
Superintendents in local districts expressed cautious optimism. Several had already resisted implementation of the original order, citing legal risk and community backlash. With the mandate withdrawn, they said they would take time to consult their school boards, parents, and legal counsel before deciding their own policies. Some noted the need to communicate clearly with communities about what changes would and would not occur.
Inside classrooms, some teachers expressed relief. One veteran instructor commented, “My job is to teach critical thinking, language, history, not to issue religious doctrine. I want students to study literature and religion objectively when it’s part of the curriculum, but not have sacred texts forced on them.” For students of all backgrounds, the reversal ensures they will not be obligated to read from sacred texts or absorb doctrine in general classrooms.
While the decision does not end the broader debate over faith in public life and education, it marks a shift in Oklahoma’s approach: from mandated religious content to local discretion and constitutional caution. In the coming weeks, districts will navigate how, if at all, to reintroduce religious content in electives. For now, classrooms across the state are freed from a statewide order that had turned them into battlegrounds for belief.