Calls to investigate Superintendent Walters grow louder

OKLAHOMA CITY (KSWO) - After reports of the Oklahoma State Department of Education (OSDE) not allowing school districts to rollover certain school security funds like the legislature intended, some elected officials, including Republicans, have called for a possible impeachment investigation into State Superintendent Ryan Walters.

While Democrats in the Oklahoma Legislature have not been shy on their calling for an impeachment investigation into Walters, Republicans have been largely silent. That is, until now.

Republican Representative Mark McBride sent out a letter to House leadership listing OSDE actions he believes could have risen to impeachment level misconduct.

McBride’s Letter to House Leadership:

One of those actions pertains to a bill which put into place school security funds which could be used by School Districts.

However, there seems to be a disagreement on what the bill actually says. Some state representatives, like McBride, have said the bill allows for School districts to rollover any unused funds from the previous year, while OSDE is claiming it does not.

This took some school districts by surprise who were planning to use the rollover funds to buy more costly school security measures.

Lawton State Representative for District 62 Dainel Pae agreed with many of his colleagues about the bill allowing for rollover. Pae, along with 15 others, cosigned McBride’s letter to House leadership calling for an investigation.

“I think the law is very clear when it comes to allowing school districts the flexibility to rollover these funds in this manner,” Rep. Pae said. “And they should respect the idea of local control. So SDE having done this, along with all the other very concerning actions and decisions that have been made, justify us looking deeply into this issue.”

In terms of what Pae means in terms of looking deeply into this, he says McBride is of the right idea.

“Accountability should be more than just a buzzword you use in campaigns every two years,” Pae said. “I do believe you need to follow up with action. So, I’m personally in favor, given everything that has happened just this summer alone at SDE, to establish an investigative committee such as the one Representative McBride proposed.”

7News also spoke with Trey Caldwell over the phone who is the State Representative for House District 63. He also believes the bill allows for the rolling over of funds and says he spoke with local school districts who thought the same thing.

In terms of impeachment, Caldwell says the legislature will consider it if a law has been broken.

“You don’t impeach someone because you disagree with their political implementation of policies that they believe in. I mean, elections have consequences,” Rep. Caldwell said. “But, you know, if it comes down to it that he’s broken a law, then yeah, it’s something the Legislature at that point in time will consider.”

However, Caldwell does say he is frustrated with the recent actions of SDE.

“We’ve made these huge investments into public education that we continue to try, and it is frustrating that all this rhetoric I feel like coming out of the SDE is almost trying to be punitive to our educators and to their students,” Rep. Caldwell said. And I just don’t think that is a conducive learning environment.”

On the other side of the Legislature, District 32 State Senator Dusty Deevers sent in a statement saying he shares the same interpretation of the bill as SDE and tried to pass legislation to clear up this misconception. He also believes this issue lies in the legislature.

Oklahoma House Democratic Leader Cyndi Munson, D-Oklahoma City, issued a statement on Tuesday, Aug. 13, about Republicans calling on investigative action to be taken on Walters.

Oklahoma Speaker McCall commented on McBride’s letter saying he will not go forward with an impeachment investigation unless 51 or more Republicans sign the letter requesting an investigation.

We reached out to Walters’ team for a possible interview regarding calls for an investigation, but did not receive a response by time of publication.

Your 7News team will continue monitoring this developing story out of the Oklahoma Capitol.

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