OKLAHOMA CITY, OKLA — A federal judge has ruled in favor of Oklahoma State Superintendent Ryan Walters, dismissing a lawsuit brought by former Norman High School English teacher Summer Boismier. The litigation stemmed from allegations made by Boismier against Walters following the controversy of a QR code linked to a library project that provided access to banned books.
Boismier resigned in the wake of parental backlash after she provided her students with a QR code that directed them to the Brooklyn Public Library’s “Books Unbanned” initiative. This project makes books that have been banned from various educational institutions accessible to the public, particularly focusing on titles frequently subjected to censorship.
The conflict escalated when Walters, referring to the incident, issued tweets suggesting Boismier’s dismissal and accused her of several professional missteps, including distributing inappropriate material and bringing disrepute to the teaching profession. The accusations, which were widely circulated online, led Boismier to file a lawsuit accusing Walters of defamation, among other charges.
The court, however, found these claims to lack sufficient specificity and concrete evidence to meet the threshold for defamation. The judgment cited that the comments made by Walters were not verifiable harms but rather his subjective interpretation of a highly charged public discourse, in which both he and Boismier were active voices. The court’s decision emphasized the broad protections under the First Amendment, suggesting that the remarks were more rhetorical than factual.
This legal battle traces back to policies like House Bill 1775 in Oklahoma, which restricts educational content on certain racial and sexual topics. Boismier’s classroom display of the QR code, alongside the note “Books the state doesn’t want you to read,” was seen as a direct response to this legislative environment. The QR code gave access to titles like “Genderqueer” and “Flamer,” both of which had been impacted by the bill.
In his reaction to the ruling, Walters hailed it as a significant victory for educational integrity and parental rights, asserting that it sends a clear message against what he termed political indoctrination in schools. He celebrated the decision as a step towards preserving a focus on traditional academic values within Oklahoma’s educational system.
Despite these declarations, the judge appended a note to the summary judgment, underscoring the right of individuals like Boismier to passionately and publicly contest political decisions, safeguarded by the First Amendment.
While the ruling closes this chapter of the legal struggle, it aligns with broader national debates over educational content and free speech protections. The outcome serves as a precedent in the legal landscape concerning teachers’ rights and the extent of political commentary in the educational sphere.
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