The Oklahoma Supreme Court issued an opinion Tuesday which sided with Edmond Public Schools in its contention that local school boards had the authority to decide what materials can be added to the library, not the State Superintendent, State Department of Education, nor the State Board of Education.
The decision is the result of the lawsuit filed by Edmond Public Schools when State Superintendent Ryan Walters and the State Board of Education were going to consider downgrading the district’s accreditation because of two books Walters wanted removed.
The Oklahoman’s Murray Evans writes the court said “’No statute’ gave the state board, state agency or state superintendent ‘the authority to supervise, examine, and control a local school board’s exercise of this discretion when the local school board applies local community standards’ for school library books.”
Walters issued a statement after the decision was made public saying he was disappointed and that it was “made on very narrow grounds.”
You can read The Oklahoman’s story here.
Read the Oklahoma Supreme Court’s decision here.
