A hardline former Oklahoma education boss who once pushed for public schools to teach the Bible has filed for divorce from his wife.
Ryan Walters, 40, filed the petition seeking the dissolution of his wife of nearly 15 years, Katie, in Oklahoma County District Court on May 8.
It said he was seeking an end to their marriage after 'a state of complete and irreconcilable incompatibility has arisen between the parties, which has destroyed the aims of the marriage of the parties and rendered its continuation impossible.'
Walters, who previously served as Oklahoma's state superintendent, is also seeking the equitable split of all marital assets and debts, along with joint and equal custody of their four minor children, according to the filing obtained by the Daily Mail.
In a joint statement to The Oklahoman, Ryan and Katie Walters said they decided to seek a divorce 'after thoughtful conversations.'
They added that they 'will remain devoted parents of our four wonderful kids.'
'Our children are at the heart of everything, and we love them more than words can say,' the ex-couple said. 'We're grateful for the family we've built and committed to raising our kids together with the same love and care they've always known.
'We kindly ask for privacy for them as we settle into this next chapter,' they continued.
Ryan Walters, 40, a hardline former Oklahoma education boss, has filed for divorce from his wife of nearly 15 years, Katie
The filing claims 'a state of complete and irreconcilable incompatibility has arisen between the parties, which has destroyed the aims of the marriage of the parties and rendered its continuation impossible...'
The ex-spouses are now seeking joint custody of their four children
Walters was thrust into the national spotlight after he was tapped by Governor Kevin Stitt to serve as the state's education secretary in late 2020. He was then elected as Oklahoma's state superintendent two years later.
In that position, he fought to mandate that all classrooms display the 'God Bless the USA Bible' - a Bible endorsed by former President Donald Trump and country star Lee Greenwood, which includes the Constitution and the Pledge of Allegiance.
Walters also appointed Chaya Raichik, best known for running the X account ‘Libs of TikTok’ to a place on the Oklahoma Library Media Advisory Committee despite her only having visited the state once.
He was then accused of prioritizing a 'culture war' over improving the state's poor education outcomes when he called for an aggressive elimination of what he referred to as a 'woke agenda,' including gender theory and critical race theory.
After transgender student Nex Benedict, 16, died following a fight with three girls over which bathroom to use, for example, Walters declared that the state 'will never back down to a woke mob.'
Benedict’s family had claimed the nonbinary teen who used they/them pronouns had been bullied for months since the state insisted students could only use bathrooms reserved for their biological sex.
But Walters accused campaigners of exploiting the child’s death, adding: ‘There’s not multiple genders. There’s two. That’s how God created us.
‘I really see there’s a civil war going on, where the left is really fighting for the soul of our country,’ he added.
‘They are undermining the very principles that made this country great, our Judeo-Christian values and our traditions in this country.’
Walters was thrust into the national spotlight after he was tapped by Governor Kevin Stitt to serve as the state's education secretary in late 2020
After transgender student Nex Benedict, 16, (pictured) was killed following a fight with three girls over which bathroom to use Walters declared that the state 'will never back down to a woke mob'
He then faced an investigation for his conduct in office last year, when two State Board of Education members claimed he showed images of nude women on his office TV during a meeting.
Becky Carson recounted to The Oklahoman at the time how she was shocked by what she was seeing.
'I was like, "those are naked women", and then I was like, "No, wait a minute. Those aren't naked, surely those aren't naked women.
'Something is playing a trick on my eye. Maybe they just have on tan body suits. This is just really bizarre".'
She added that it then became clear what she was watching, and that it had left her 'disturbed'.
Carson said: 'I was like, "What is on your TV?" I was very stern, like I'd been a mother or a classroom teacher. And I said, "What am I watching? Turn it off now!".'
The two said that Walters had his back to the TV at the time and that he did not apologize or offer any explanation as he turned off the TV.
The accusation triggered demands for an investigation from top Republican leaders, including the governor.
Walters, pictured with FBI Director Kash Patel, faced an investigation last year when two State Board of Education members claimed he showed images of nude women on his office TV during a meeting
His name has since been floated as a potential candidate in the race to succeed Governor Stitt and as a possible contender for Senator Markwayne Mullin's seat in April, after Mullin took over the Department of Homeland Security
But Walters denied the allegations.
'Any suggestion that a device of mine was used to stream inappropriate content on the television set is categorically false,' Walters said in a statement.
'I have no knowledge of what was on the TV screen during the alleged incident.'
He called the claims 'politically motivated attacks' from a hostile education board bent on derailing his agenda.
Still, Walters resigned from his position as the Oklahoma schools chief late last year to lead an anti-union group.
His name has since been floated as a potential candidate in the race to succeed Governor Stitt and as a possible contender for Senator Markwayne Mullin's seat in April, after Mullin took over the Department of Homeland Security.
Neither of those campaigns ever emerged.