It’s a great day for free speech, legitimate news media, and anyone who loves watching Ryan Walters lose!
Yesterday afternoon, Walters settled his highly publicized First Amendment battle with KFOR, essentially conceding defeat in his petty crusade against journalism.
If you remember correctly, Ryan and Co. booted KFOR to the illegitimate media table because they disapproved of the station’s reporting, removing access and opportunity to cover Ryan and his diabolical reign over our state’s public education system.
KFOR lawyered up and sued, claiming that Ryan and his band of merry right-wing stooges were unfairly targeting the station, and by limiting its access while granting it to others, violated the station’s First Amendment rights.
I guess Ryan and his lawyers knew they didn’t have a case and were going to lose, so yesterday, at the midnight hour, they settled with the station, basically agreeing to KFOR’s demands.
Here are the basic details via The Oklahoman:
Under the settlement, Walters and Isett agreed to be “permanently enjoined” to grant KFOR journalists access to all State Board of Education meetings, press conferences by Walters, “or any other meetings held in which other news media are given nonexclusive access.”
Walters and Isett also must send RSVP emails that the state agency typically sends to journalists before each meeting, include KFOR on email distribution lists for news releases and other notifications, grant KFOR access to agency statements issued to other journalists in response to daily media inquiries, and re-establish a so-called “media line” for journalists who are waiting outside the Oliver Hodge Building—where the board meetings are held—before the monthly board meetings.
Under the agreement, Walters can no longer bar the station’s journalists from his press events, essentially acknowledging that his press management strategies don’t align with the Constitution.
That’s pretty cool!
Whether he’s settling a lawsuit, being passed over by Trump, or asking his wife why he saw her car parked at the Harbor Mountain Coffee Shop, it’s always fun to see Ryan Walters lose—even if it’s going to cost the state some money.
U.S. District Judge Bernard Jones, who was set to hold a bench trial in the lawsuit Wednesday, approved the settlement, which did not include an agreement on the payment of attorneys’ fees by Walters and Isett to KFOR. Jones instructed KFOR’s attorneys from the Institute for Free Speech to submit a fees application to him within 60 days, so he can determine the amount of attorney fees that might be paid.
Yep, it looks like Oklahoma taxpayers are going to be stuck footing KFOR’s legal fees. That stinks. If you ask me, Ryan Walters should go the Aaron Tuttle route and start a GoFundMe!
Naturally, KFOR’s reporting team was stoked about the news. They hopped online and gloated like they’d won Super Bowl tickets, apparently forgetting the prize is getting to cover boring Board of Education meetings.
Walters, along with his press secretary/bodyguard/co-defendant, Dan Isett, naturally responded to the KFOR victory parade by doubling down on their trademarked deflection technique—lies and misinformation:
Although the social media sparring is entertaining, the real gems for this case are buried in the depositions given by Walters and Isett. We were tipped off to them by an Ogle Mole and acquired them via PACER.
Under questioning from Institute for Free Speech attorney Charles Miller, the dynamically dumb duo laid bare their curious understanding of free speech and journalistic ethics, revealing a level of hypocrisy, confusion, and contradictions that would make even a Prager U civics teacher cringe.
My favorite part from Ryan’s deposition, however, was the blatant lie that he doesn’t watch the news:
Yep, the guy who’s obsessed with media coverage and being on TV claims he doesn’t watch the news. He gets "summations" instead! If that’s the case, I’m going to make Ryan’s summarizer’s job easy and provide this summation of this article:
Ryan Walters sucks. Ryan Walters blows. Ryan Walters sucks and blows and lost to KFOR bros.
On the topic of sucking and blowing, reading Dan Isett’s deposition was like watching someone try to climb out of quicksand by thrashing wildly.
Dan—a hardcore right-wing gremlin who prides himself on being the sole arbiter of the truth—was more combative than Walters and tried to dodge and deflect questions by either playing dumb or waxing philosophical about the general meaning of words.
For example, in this one he was unsure about the meeting or "form."
In this one, Ryan Walter's press guy didn't know the meaning of the word "press area."
In this snippet, Dan was stumped by the word "Treat."
Seriously, what an insufferable goobersmooch! Can you imagine being Dan Isett’s wife? That must be a miserable existence:
“Honey, can you take out the trash?”
“What do you mean by ‘trash?’ Are you referring to KFOR’s reporting?”
“No! The trash in the trash can. Can you take it out?”
“What do you mean by ‘take out?’ Do you want me to remove it from the receptacle bin and place it on the floor?”
“No, just take the bag out of the trash can under the sink, and then place it in the big bin outside!”
“Big bin? You want me to take the trash to a clock tower in London, England?”
Anyway, here are the links to the depositions of both Walters and Isett. If you want to provide a summation of them for us—or Ryan Walters—feel free!
In the meantime, I think I’m going to work on printing up some TLO name badges.
Now that we know Ryan can’t pick favorites and deny press coverage to media outlets based on his arbitrary thoughts and views, it’s probably time for us to start covering board meetings, press conferences, and gaggles.
Best case scenario, we get denied access and get to sue! Worst case scenario, they don’t push back, and we have to start covering this stuff in person.
Just like Ryan Walters, that would blow.
Stay with The Lost Ogle. We’ll keep you advised.
