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Posted: Dec 11, 2024 2:59 PMUpdated: Dec 11, 2024 2:59 PM
Television Station Wins Court Settlement Against State Department of Education
Nathan Thompson
An Oklahoma City television station has won a federal First Amendment settlement against the Oklahoma State Department of Education.
KFOR-TV, along with The Institute for Free Speech, filed a lawsuit in September against the Department of Education, specifically naming State Superintendent Ryan Walters and his Press Secretary Dan Isett.
KFOR journalists were refused access to public Board of Education meetings and were excluded from press conferences held by Walters following those meetings. Walters and Isett claimed KFOR was not a "legitimate news organization."
A bench trial was set to begin Wednesday. However, just before the case was to be heard, a settlement was reached in the case. Walters and Isett have agreed to allow KFOR into all press conferences and meetings.
Along with some attorney's fees, they've also agreed to pay $17.91, a symbolic amount as 1791 was the year the First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution was ratified, protecting freedom of speech and the press.
After the settlement was announced, Walters posted on his official account with X, formerly known as Twitter, claiming KFOR and the rest of Oklahoma's news media "won the fake news award."
The Oklahoma news media and @kfor won the fake news award. They lie to the public, lie to themselves, and as the leading liberal media outlet in our state they will continually be held accountable pic.twitter.com/vaacYhS5Uq
— Superintendent Ryan Walters (@RyanWaltersSupt) December 11, 2024
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