In order to provide equal access and equal opportunity to people with diverse abilities, this site has been designed with accessibility in mind. Click here to view
OKLAHOMA CITY – As a teacher with 15 years of experience in public school classrooms, Sen. David Bullard, R-Durant, knows the impact teachers can have on students. Having seen the good and bad, he has filed Senate Bill 588 creating the “Students’ Bill of Rights” to protect public school students from bias and prejudice in the classroom as well as Senate Bill 614 to extend similar protections to students attending Oklahoma’s public colleges and universities.
“Our job as teachers is to help students learn various subjects, like math and reading, that will help them become independent, productive members of society. However, some teachers overstep their boundaries trying to indoctrinate students with socialism, hatred of America and even persuade them away from their faith,” Bullard said. “This bill clarifies that a student does not relinquish their constitutional rights at the school door. Teachers need to realize there are boundaries and their responsibility is to teach only those subjects for which they were hired, and everything else needs to be left up to parents and guardians.”
Under SB 588, students in Oklahoma public schools and public charter schools have the right to:
The Students’ Bill of Rights would be included in school handbooks. School boards and the governing boards of public charter schools would create a due process plan for students, parents or legal guardians and teachers to report violations of the Act. Confirmed violations by school employees would be reported to the State Department of Education, who would be authorized to report any school found not in compliance as deficient on the accreditation report. The bill would also allow the state Board to impose a State Aid penalty for districts that did not comply with the Act or have submitted two or more confirmed violations that have not been addressed.
SB 614 would provide students attending any institution within the Oklahoma State System of Higher Education the right to public and free expression of religion, speech and peaceful assembly including the right to participate in religious student associations free from discrimination and engage in expressive activity on campus. It would also extend the same rights as the Students’ Bill of Rights to college students regarding their right to an unbiased education. Each college and university would be required to establish a Safe Campus Committee, consisting of full-time students and faculty, administration and community representatives, to review reported violations.
“Any teacher, administrator or professor who is willing to attempt to steal or impede on the sacred rights of Oklahoma’s students or force their personal beliefs on them does not deserve the honor of being called a teacher or educator,” Bullard said. “We must protect Oklahoma’s students throughout their public education.”
-END-
For more information contact: Sen. Bullard: (405) 521-5586 or David.Bullard@oksenate.gov
Every 10 years, the Oklahoma Legislature is constitutionally required to redraw legislative and congressional district boundaries using the latest U.S. Census data. For more information about the Oklahoma Senate's redistricting process, visit www.oksenate.gov, or submit your redistricting questions at redistricting@oksenate.gov.