Oklahoma City, OK – The Oklahoma Democratic Party today denounced President Donald Trump’s newly issued Executive Order, “Ending Radical Indoctrination in K-12 Schooling,” as a stark escalation of the extremist education policies that have taken hold in Oklahoma under State Superintendent Ryan Walters. Since Walters’s election in 2022, local schools have faced a wave of ideological crackdowns limiting discussions of race, gender, and sexuality—an approach now imposed on classrooms nationwide by the White House.

“This is the same heavy-handed strategy we’ve been fighting in Oklahoma, only now it’s being forced onto every public school in America,” said Oklahoma Democratic Party Chair Alicia Andrews. “Instead of trusting parents, educators, and local communities, the administration insists on dictating what truths can be taught, and who’s allowed to feel safe or valid within our school walls.”

Andrews and other critics warn that this order places trans and non-binary students at even greater risk, especially after last year’s tragic murder of Nex Benedict, a transgender student in Owasso. LGBTQ+ advocates say Benedict’s death showed how stigmatizing policies can create a hostile environment for vulnerable youth.

“When you adopt measures that question or deny a student’s identity, you risk fueling an environment where their very lives are threatened,” Andrews said. “Nex Benedict’s story was a wake-up call for our state. Now, the White House is doubling down on that climate by promoting a rigid, government-approved ‘patriotic education’ that invalidates entire communities of students.”

Under Superintendent Walters, Oklahoma teachers have already been pressured to avoid topics deemed too “divisive.” Critics say the White House directive amplifies that trend, threatening to pull federal funds unless schools conform to a sanitized narrative of history. Civil rights groups and legal experts are poised to challenge the order in court, hoping to secure an injunction to halt what they view as blatant government overreach.

“Local control of education is a cornerstone of the American tradition,” Andrews noted. “No teacher should have to weigh the possibility of losing federal funding against teaching accurate history or recognizing a child’s basic dignity. That isn’t patriotic—it’s coercive.”

Adding to the concerns, Trump’s order specifically calls for heightened monitoring of schools’ compliance with Constitution Day on September 17—an ironic twist, according to Andrews.

“It’s baffling to see the administration so fixated on Constitution Day while simultaneously undermining the constitutional rights of students and educators,” she said. “If we truly want to honor the Constitution, we should uphold the First Amendment by encouraging honest dialogue, not mandating a narrow, state-approved script.”

The Oklahoma Democratic Party vows to stand alongside parents, educators, and students who oppose these measures, both at the state and federal levels. Andrews says the Party will continue to advocate for inclusive, fact-based education that prepares children for the real world—no matter how uncomfortable certain truths may be for those in power.

“We’ve seen firsthand how dangerous these policies can be for our most vulnerable kids, and we refuse to let that become the national norm,” Andrews concluded. “Oklahomans believe in resilience, empathy, and fairness. We believe in teaching the whole story of America—our triumphs and our trials. That’s real patriotism, and we’ll defend it with everything we have.”