OKLAHOMA CITY (KOCO) – State school officials in Oklahoma are responding a week after a student was asked to not display an American flag on campus.
The state wants every district to guarantee the flag can be flown freely and also require the Pledge of Allegiance.
“Look, this is the expectation. This is in statute. There shouldn’t be any issue here,” Oklahoma State Superintendent of Public Instruction Ryan Walters said.
There are new guidelines handed down Thursday by the state’s Department of Education that school districts must follow.
First, schools are expected to establish a clear policy that ensures the flag can be flown and displayed on all campuses without infringement.
The second requirement reiterates rules that are already state laws, specifically the requirement that students recite the Pledge of Allegiance at least once a week.
Third, the Oklahoma State Department of Education is also requesting all schools submit a report detailing their policies on the American flag to state officials.
No due date has been set.
“We have a requirement on a district. They have to upload and show us how they meet the needs of those requirements,” Walters described.
The guidelines somewhat resemble a letter sent to Edmond Public Schools from a group of state lawmakers after a student was told he couldn’t fly a flag from his truck on school property.
Where they differ is requiring policies be set; the lawmakers just wrote recommendations, while Walters appears to be issuing a blanket mandate.
The lawmakers who drafted that letter have not commented on Walters’ mandate.
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