Oklahomas Superintendent of Public Instruction Ryan Walters has said he will absolutely penalize schools that refuse to follow his order to show students a video of him praying for President-elect Donald Trump. At least eight school districts have refused to follow his order and the states Republican attorney general called Walterss order unenforceable.Rogue superintendents that have been pushing books like Gender Queer and Flamer on kids, Walters told the right-wing media outlet Real Americas Voice on Wednesday, naming two LGBTQ+-inclusive books that right-wing activists repeatedly include on book ban lists. So they want to include pornography, but they dont want to include the Bible and they dont want to allow a prayer, were not going to tolerate it here in the state of Oklahoma, he added. Related Parent arrested at state meeting after calling GOP education head a bigot & a bully You make a fool out of yourself. You are an embarrassment to Oklahoma. At least eight school districts, including some of the states largest, have refused to show Walters prayer. In the video, Walters blames the radical left for attacking religious liberty in schools, discusses the goals of his new Office of Religious Liberty and Patriotism and prays for the former and future president. Stay connected to your community Connect with the issues and events that impact your community at home and beyond by subscribing to our newsletter. Subscribe to our Newsletter today In a message to parents, Edmond School District Superintendent Angela Grunewald wrote, Earlier this year, the Oklahoma Supreme Court unanimously ruled that we have the authority to make these decisions at the local level and we will continue to do so.A spokesperson for Walters office, Dan Isett, didnt answer The Journal Records inquiry about Walters authority to issue such an order nor what penalty schools would face for ignoring his order. Supt. Walters is ending the ongoing attacks on President Donald Trump and his agenda to get prayer back in schools, Isett replied.Oklahomas Republican Attorney General Scott Pruittsaid in a statement, There is no statutory authority for the state schools superintendent to require all students to watch a specific video. Not only is this edict unenforceable, it is contrary to parents rights, local control and individual free-exercise rights. State Sen. Mark Mann (D), a former Education Department official, advised schools not to comply with Walters order, saying that Walters department lacks the legal authority to make such an order.This isnt the first time schools have defied Walters attempt to insert religion into public schools. In autumn, Walters mandated that public schools teach about the Bible and provide a copy of the text and The 10 Commandments in all classrooms. At least 46 school districts across the state said they wouldnt comply.Most of the schools cited Oklahoma law, which grants school districts discretion over instructional materials. Others cited concerns that spending funds on religious material may violate state law, while some simply said they didnt have the funds to purchase Bibles for every classroom. Earlier this year, Walters office spent just under $25,000 to purchase 532 copies of the God Bless the USA Bible which contains a copy of the U.S. Constitution, Bill of Rights and the Declaration of Independence and were advertised by Trump spending nearly $47 on each one. Standard bibles run between $3 and $17 on Amazon, and Bibles can be custom-printed to include the aforementioned government documents at costs far less than $47 each.Walters has said hes willing to spend up to $6 million in taxpayer funds to provide Bibles to statewide classrooms.Walters, who wants toban LGBTQ+ books but teach the Bible in public school history classes, has previouslypushed the transphobic lie about schools providing litterboxes to studentswho identify as cats. He alsoreferred to teachers unions as terrorist organizationsandillegally tried to make rulesbanning LGBTQ+ books and transgender bathroom access in schools. He has appeared at events hosted by Moms for Liberty, a right-wing anti-LGBTQ+ parents rights group that has been calledan extremist hate groupby the Southern Poverty Law Center. He appointed Christian Nationalists to help re-write the states social studies curriculum. He also appointed Chaya Raichik, an anti-LGBTQ+ activist who goes by Libs of Tik Tok online,as a Library Media Advisor for the state(even though she has no educational experience, doesnt reside in Oklahoma, and has made posts that have led to bomb threats against students).Followingthe death of 16-year-old Nex Benedictin February, Walterss anti-LGBTQ+ policies came under intense scrutiny, with many allies and advocatesaccusing him of fostering the environment of hostility toward LGBTQ+ studentsthat contributed to the trans teens tragic death. The Human Rights Campaign and over 350 LGBTQ+ rights organizations, civil rights groups, and leaders sent anopen letterto the Oklahoma state legislature demanding Walters be removed from office.More recently, 21 Oklahoma Republican lawmakers havecalled for an impeachment investigationinto Walters handling of the Education Department.Subscribe to theLGBTQ Nation newsletterand be the first to know about the latest headlines shaping LGBTQ+ communities worldwide.