Sen. Julie Daniels, Senate colleagues request Oklahoma State School Boards Association denounce letter from the National School Boards Association

Sen. Julie Daniels, R-Bartlesville, and 12 additional state senators, sent a letter to the Executive Director of the Oklahoma State School Boards Association (OSSBA), Shawn Hime, on Friday, asking him to denounce statements from the National School Boards Association (NSBA) sent to President Joe Biden.

Daniels referenced a letter sent by NSBA to the president on Sept. 29 requesting federal assistance to stop threats and acts of violence against public school board members, district officials, educators and students.

“None of us sanction acts of violence or threats against anyone,” Daniels said. “However, the examples given in the letter sent to the president mostly refer to contentious, tense, disorderly or disruptive school board meetings. NSBA wants frustration, anger and opposition to be labeled as ‘domestic terrorism’ and ‘hate crimes.’ While there have been reports of contentious school board meetings in Oklahoma, surely our school board members don’t support the call for draconian, federal actions to silence parents, patrons and taxpayers who finance public education.”

The NSBA letter sent to the Biden administration also declares that Critical Race Theory (CRT) is not being taught anywhere in America’s public school system, a claim being used as evidence to silence those who oppose the divisive and destructive curriculum, Daniels said.

“I’m proud our state leaders took steps during the last legislative session to ban the teaching of core principles of Critical Race Theory through House Bill 1775,” Daniels said. “The evidence many legislators have seen just in our state alone proves that principles of this dangerous concept are being discussed in some classrooms. Again, the NSBA is out of touch with what is happening across the nation, and simply wants to silence those who disagree with their philosophies.”

Daniels said she’s requesting the OSSBA stand up to the NSBA, who sent the letter on behalf of all their member organizations, and support Oklahoma parents, educators and administrators who are tired of attempts by the federal government to silence their voices.

The letter to Hime was signed by 12 Oklahoma senators in addition to Daniels, including: Sen. Micheal Bergstrom, R-Adair; Sen. George Burns, R-Pollard; Sen. David Bullard, R-Durant; Sen. Nathan Dahm, R-Broken Arrow; Sen. Kim David, R-Porter; Sen. Warren Hamilton, R-McCurtain; Sen. Shane Jett, R-Shawnee; Sen. Jake Merrick, R-Yukon; Sen. Casey Murdock, R-Felt; Sen. Marty Quinn, R-Claremore; Sen. Frank Simpson, R-Springer; and Sen. Rob Standridge, R-Norman.