Preaching state superintendent demands video of him praying for Trump be played for all students

An education official has demanded schools show a preaching video in which he prays for Donald Trump and criticizes “woke” teachers.

Oklahoma’s superintendent of education Ryan Walters sent an email to school districts telling them to play the video for students and parents.

Walters, who is being sued for requiring schools to include the Bible in lesson plans, laid the blame ‘radical left’ And ‘woke up teachers unions” for “attacking religious freedom” in the video.

His email blast also invited students to join him in praying for Trump and the country.

However, schools in the district pushed back, arguing that Walters did not have the authority to require them to “disrupt the school day.”

Walters justified his demand by claiming that “student rights and freedoms regarding religious freedoms are under constant attack.”

He promised that his newly created “Department of Religious Freedom and Patriotism” would “thwart any attempt to disrupt the fundamental freedoms of our Oklahoma students.”

He wrote that one of the department’s first steps was to require all Oklahoma schools to “play the attached video for all children enrolled.”

Walters also wrote that schools would be required to send the video to parents as well, and encouraged students to pray with him, but that was not required.

He linked to a YouTube video posted by the Oklahoma State Department of Education titled “Supt. Walters Announcement on the Ministry of Religious Freedom and Patriotism’.

The video is of Walters at a desk where he introduced the new department and blamed “far-left” liberalism for the lack of patriotism in schools.

“We have also seen patriotism mocked and hatred of this country stoked by woke teachers’ unions. We will not tolerate that at any school in Oklahoma,” he said.

“We want our students to be patriotic. We want our students to love this country, and we want the religious freedom of all students to be protected.”

Walters then announced that he would pray, telling the students that they did not have to participate, but that they could if they wanted.

“This is not forcing one religion on a child or family. This means that whatever your religion is, whatever your faith is, or if you don’t have it, that’s entirely up to you. We’re going to protect your ability to exercise that,” he said.

He bowed his head and prayed for Trump and his team “as they continue to effect change in the country.”

He also prayed for the education of parents, teachers and children and for “high quality living.”

“I also pray that we continue to instill in our young people a love of country, and that our students understand what makes America great, and that they continue to love this country. Amen,” he concluded.

Public schools across the state, however, were not immediately willing to implement his demands.

Mustang Public School officials said in a letter to parents that they “have no plans to interrupt the school day to show or transmit the video, but will instead use that time for curriculum,” according to KOCO.

Yukon Public Schools officials also declined to show the video, saying they wanted to focus on the curriculum approved by state lawmakers.

Normandy school officials said they “maintain an inclusive environment that does not promote or threaten religious beliefs” and would continue to offer students a daily moment of silence.

Edmond Public School officials also said they would not show the video, while Oklahoma City Public Schools officials said district leaders will meet Friday to discuss their actions, KOCO reported.

Walters told the newspaper that he was aware of “rogue supervisors” who he claimed wanted to “force a left-wing agenda on their children.”

“(They) would like to continue encouraging state-sponsored atheism in our classrooms by driving out any mention of God, but we will not tolerate it,” he said.