Ryan Walters demands OKCPS pull book from library that’s already been pulled from library…

On Tuesday night, Ryan Walters – Oklahoma’s dunce-hat-wearing Superintendent of Public Edumacation – hopped in his SUV and filmed a video vlog informing us that his right-wing pals with Libs of Tik Tok had found another “dangerous” book with dirty drawings available in an Oklahoma public school library. 

This time around the book is “Let’s Talk About It.” It’s a sex ed book with dirty drawings that tries way too hard to be hip and relatable to teens who don’t have friends, the internet and/or mainstream American pop culture to teach them about sex.

As a result of finding the book, Walters said he was going to hold districts and vendors accountable who force sexually graphic library books into the hands of curious teens who didn’t wash their hands after using the kitty litter in the bathroom: 

Yep, that’s a pretty strong response to finding a dirty book in the library. The only problem is the book has already been banned from the library. 

If you remember correctly, back in July, right-wing culture war-fighting theocrats unearthed copies of "Gender Queer" in some public school libraries. Like “Lets Talk About It,” it had some sexually explicit drawings that any prude and pious parent question why it’s in a public school library.  

Instead of running to her car and filming a video vlog to grandstand on the issue, then Oklahoma State School Superintendent Joy Hofmeister respectfully issued a memo to school districts asking them to conduct an audit of their catalogs for the upcoming school year and to “remove any inappropriate materials.”

Oklahoma City Public Schools did exactly that, and as a result, Ryan Walters looks like a total chode for complaining about a library book that is no longer available in libraries. 

"OKCPS is aware of a photo circulating on social media regarding a book titled “Let’s Talk About It” by Erika Moen and Matthew Nolan. The photo being shared makes it appear that this book is available to be checked out at John Marshall Enterprise High School. District leaders have confirmed that this book is not available to students through our digital or physical library at John Marshall Enterprise High School or any other OKCPS school.

It’s common for school districts to rely on national vendors who release lists of books for school libraries. However, over the past several years, OKCPS has, like many districts, recognized the need to do its own internal audit of the books on our shelves that are available to students. We have removed books from our school libraries that were on national lists because it’s important for us to protect our students and to ensure we are respecting and representing Oklahoma values. The book in question, “Let’s Talk About It” was removed from online and physical inventory as a result of an audit.

Just like with any process, our process for reviewing and selecting library books is fluid and OKCPS is continually striving to ensure our schools are safe places for our students. Because of this, it’s possible that our online platform may not accurately represent what is physically available in the library at each school. 

Once he learned that Oklahoma City Public Schools had already banned the book he wanted to ban, an obviously embarrassed and apologetic Ryan Walters filmed a follow-up video where he apologized to the district for rushing to judgment and not verifying that the information provided to him by a right-wing troll was accurate. 

Hehe. Just kidding. 

Just like his wife’s many trips to the Harbor Mountain Coffee Shop, he pretended the whole thing never happened. 

Instead, he decided to troll the Oklahoma Education Association for sharing the results of a conservative group’s study that shows most Oklahomans think taking away public education funding and giving it to wealthy private school elitists, theocrats and other various education schemers and government grifters is a bad idea. 

To quote the great Ron Burgandy…

Stay with The Lost Ogle. We’ll keep you advised.