Search

ROPE Report

Tag

political drama

In Bizarre Twist, OSDE Board Members Accuse State Super Of Character Assassination After Assassinating Character Of State Super

From the Daily Oklahoman (8.7.25), “What we saw on TV is content that would get the certificate of any teacher in this state revoked had it showed up on a classroom TV,” they said. “Now we have to ask the question: Why did Superintendent Walters lie about the TV being connected to the internet and what he saw on the TV that day? He repeatedly called the board members liars and attempted to destroy our reputation.”

This comment was apparently released by Governor Kevin Stitt-appointed, Oklahoma State of Education Board members, Becky Carson and Ryan Deatherage, though I couldn’t find an associated press release, just the comment in the DO article linked above. Not that it would matter. I find the statement so absolutely ridiculous, unserious and “pot calling the kettle black“, that it matters not where it was actually published.

Since “Nudigate” – as Katy Smith (V1SUT) and I named it in a live special last week – became primetime MSM fodder, it has gone from the ridiculous to the more ridiculous, from shrieking and pearl clutching to shrieking and character assassination.

Two of the best of several Oklahoma independent media blogs have covered this story – from Ramblings Of A Domesticated Warrior (An Emmy-Worthy, Box Office Bombshell: The Scandal That Hijacked Oklahoma) to the Oklahoma State Capitol (Hulkamania and the State Board of Education’s Porn Panic of 2025), to V1SUT in the above-linked video.

While the MSM have focused on allegations meant to steer the public into considering that our State Superintendent of Public Instruction watches porn in his office leading to the conclusion that he should therefore be removed from his office – you know, the one to which OKLAHOMA VOTERS ELECTED HIM – the Oklahoma Independent Media have been busy trying to find other reasons for board member allegations that there were naked women on the TV in Walters’ office.

Tuesday, August 5th, the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Kyle Hilbert, came forward with a conclusion to his investigation – “When initially powered on, the television displayed Samsung TV Plus Channel 1204 (Movie Hub Action).” On Samsung Plus at the time was a Jackie Chan movie from the 1980’s that had significant frontal nudity in the American release.

So, amazingly, this explanation not only vindicates Superintendent Walters, but the OSBE members as well. This is an odd situation, but probably the only plausible one. Yes, the members saw naked women, but no, Walters had no hand in the debacle.

Now, let’s go on to this one question that remains – WHY ON EARTH WASN’T ANY OF THIS HANDLED BEHIND CLOSED DOORS? Why did Becky Carson IMMEDIATELY run to the media in hysterics? Why would Ryan Deatheridge join in the fun?

Obviously only those Board members would know, obviously, but we can certainly generate some thoughts and ideas based on recent history:

  1. Governor Stitt fires three OSDE Board members over a political perspective – the Board members had listened to a presentation from the Oklahoma City Public Schools Superintendent who said that they were struggling because it was becoming extremely difficult to educate non-English speaking students. Though the state is required to collect data on illegal students, when the three members of the Board broached the idea of collecting data on these students, Governor Stitt fired them. (By the way, has anyone ever wondered why Zach Archer and Sarah LePak are never there during controversial happens with the Board? Who are these people to Kevin Stitt? It might be worth reading to find out.)
  2. This action generates a rift in the formerly finish-each-other’s-sentences-bromance of Stitt and Walters. Now, suddenly, Stitt seems to actually have it out for Walters – a situation so noticeable, News9 did a complete timeline of the fallout.
  3. Governor Stitt appoints two of three members to replace the three fired, including attorney-husband of local education union POE head, Ginger Tinney and Chris VanDenhend – both of whom have CLASSIC conflicts of interest that are just brushed under the rug by the Oklahoma Senate Education Committee during their confirmation. Watch, State School Board Conflicts Of Interest – Does Anyone Even Care about Tinney and Breaking News! Why Chris Vandenhende Should NOT Be Appointed To The State Board of Ed.
  4. Becky Carson is appointed with little fanfare – more on her here – yet, suddenly, she is all over the MSM 24/7.

Now. Let’s posit some more;

  1. If you were a board member on good terms with your Chair, would you run screaming to the media bout something odd and concerning that happened before an Executive meeting being held in the office of the Chair, or would you go to the Board and to the Chair to discuss it and possibly have it investigated?
  2. What does it buy a Board member to run screaming to the media about something odd and concerning that happened before an Executive meeting being held in the office of the Chair instead of discussing it and possibly having it investigated?
  3. Yes, Walters did call the Board members liars. Hmmm…this is just me, but, if I was accused of doing something societally gross (even today we frown on public servants watching porn at work) that I didn’t do and I had a family with children who can be exposed to the media – which was spewing it all over every channel night and day – and a spouse I loved who I didn’t want embarrassed by an untrue allegation, YEAH I MIGHT GET A BIT HACKED OFF and even accuse people of lying when I know the allegations being made against me weren’t true. Especially if I’d been under fire from the Left from the beginning of my term.
  4. What have the Left in Oklahoma done to Walters since HIS ELECTION BY THE PEOPLE? Hint: check out the screenshots below and anything by local hater of everything conservative, Sean Cummings.
Oklahoma Democrat, Representative Jacob Rosecrants insults Oklahoma State Superintendent Ryan Walters in a cartoon.
A graphic expressing strong opposition to Ryan Walters as State Superintendent, featuring text that reads: 'I AM A PUBLIC SCHOOL ADVOCATE AND A LIFELONG SOONER FAN & I’D VOTE FOR EFFING LINCOLN RILEY BEFORE I VOTED FOR RYAN WALTERS FOR STATE SUPERINTENDENT', with a pennant icon in the corner.

So now, let’s recap: several members of the Oklahoma State Board of Education appointed by Governor Kevin Stitt – in the middle of a public feud with the State Super – see something on a television that was inappropriate and – instead of reporting the incident to the rest of the Board and/or others privately – go screaming to the MSM. The Board members ACCUSE the state Superintendent of watching porn in his office supported by tax payers. The Governor stays silent on the matter. The Super gets justifiably angry about the accusations and accuse the Board members of lying. NO ONE WINS, but the Left goes nuts with the entire story and uses it as justification for a rally to try and impeach a seated official who has been shown to have done nothing wrong, but was the victim of a bizarre electronic mistake.

Look, I’m not a Walters sycophant. I’ve been on his case – especially about vouchers for private schools – more than anyone who brands themselves Republican. If I thought – for one minute – that Walters was doing something he shouldn’t have been doing, do you think that wouldn’t have been a big blow up on this blog and on the podcast? It sure as shootin’ would’ve.

This is all political theater of the highest heights. It’s political nonsense that’s actually hurt a family for no reason other than politics and that hacks me off. I don’t care if you don’t like conservative politics, that dislike is not a reason to hurt someone else with impunity and then have the unmitigated GALL to turn around and say you’ve been hurt.

Becky Carson and Ryan Deatheridge are the absolute worst of the worst of appointed officials in Oklahoma right now and they should be released from the Oklahoma State School Board ASAP, with VanDenhende and Tinney not be far behind – if for no other reason than their OBVIOUS conflicts of interest not reported by any other media than ROPE Report and other Oklahoma IMs. I’m sick to my stomach about the political drama created by Governor Stitt through his appointments to this Board and the fact that absolutely NONE OF THIS HELPS OKLAHOMA KIDS in any way – which, by the way, Superintendent Walters and the previous board were actually doing by removing sexual predators from our public schools system.

So then, could this be what all of this is about in the first place? Could Governor Stitt and the rest of this Board object to removing sexual predators from our kids? Anyone with a brain has to wonder.

Republican Governor Stitt Sides With Democrats To Keep The Education Status Quo By Firing State Education Board Members Engaged In Protecting Oklahoma Kids

(edited after publication)

So interesting today to see that Governor Stitt has fired three members of the state school board because, “…it’s clear that our education infrastructure has fallen prey to needless political drama.”

Political drama. What does that actually mean? But then the Governor loves to use catch phrases – you know – like political animal – the term he used when he was out in Chairman of the House Appropriations and Budget Committee, Representative Kevin Wallace’s district, trying to get him re-elected over the grassroots, common family man the people preferred, Jim Shaw?

Seriously. What political drama? Literally. What exactly was the DRAMA the Board was engaging in?

I never saw a one of them talking about their jobs outside the Board in a way that invoked DRAMA. None of them were going before a camera to talk about their jobs or to condemn the Superintendent or the Governor or creating MAGA videos in their cars. SO WHAT DRAMA?

I think he means the DRAMA of removing the teaching certificates of taxpayer-supported public school employees who were preying upon children. THAT drama!

Seriously, does anyone realize that we’ve had a drag queen principal with a drunk driving and child pornography charge – who only went away because of outside pressure by local media outlet V1SUT – and a Superintendent in Shawnee and a coach in Shawnee and incidents in Kingfisher and Ninnekah and Salina and Perry and Wewoka where districts are being sued because NO ONE WOULD PROTECT STUDENTS FROM EMPLOYEES WHO WERE HURTING CHILDREN? THAT kind of drama Mr. Stitt?

Kendra Wesson – one of the removed Board members – is one of the most transparent, hard-working, smart, committed women I know. She was always prepared for a meeting and truly had a heart for kids – a not-so-surprising-fact when you find out that she has eight of her own. Her removal is absolute NONSENSE. She wasn’t engaged in any kind of political drama in any way. All she was trying to do in her position was go over and above to help Oklahoma kids.

WHO IN THE HELL FIRES SOMEONE LIKE KENDRA WESSON????

She and this Board were actively involved in attempting to remove teachers and other public school personnel who were a danger to children – and now all of them but two – Governor Stitt’s attorney at Gateway Mortgage, Sarah LePak – and Zach Archer – who, like Governor Stitt, works in the financial industry – are left. What do they know about education? Apparently, they know how to be an attorney and a financial analyst – but, dang it – that is the kind of person our Governor admires!

So what about these new Board members?

Michael Tinney is the husband of Ginger Tinney of Professional Oklahoma Educators. Mr. Tinney is an oil and gas attorney with Ames, Ashabranner, Taylor, Lawrence, Laudick & Morgan in Oklahoma City. I guess we should be happy that he’s at least CONNECTED to someone who knows about education, ‘cuz at this point, we’re 0-2 there.

Ryan Deathridge is a small business owner and the Kingfisher County 911 Director. He has a double major in Agriculture and Finance.

If he is from Kingfisher, he is resident of the Kingfisher Public School system where the district was slapped with a $5 million dollar lawsuit over charges of abuse by Kingfisher Football Coach Jeff Myers. Myers, who was banned from any further activity with the team and whose contract was not to be renewed by the Board, was still employed as of December, when Kingfisher had to let go 22 positions to pay the settlement from the suit after the Kingfisher County Excise Board refused to pass the settlement cost on to tax payers.

And then we found this:

Apparently, in the 20-teens Deathridge was associated with the electric ‘car’ tax credit craze. And yes, there were federal income tax subsidies taken for the vehicles.

What an interesting choice for the State School Board. He has no education experience either.

And then there’s Chris VanDenhende who is listed in the Governor’s press release as being from Tulsa. According to VanDenhende’s LinkdIn page, he is from Stroud, Oklahoma, in Lincoln County, where he is Chief Financial Officer at Southwest Fuel Systems, LLC. and Mint Turbines.

Interesting choice Mr. VanDenhende. Apparently, he is friendly with Mr. Stitt’s friend, Kevin Wallace.

In a Lincoln County News Herald “Report From Kevin Wallace” on April 6, 2022, Mr. Wallace says, “I was fortunate to be invited to dinner on the eve of this event with many representatives from the industries. Chris VanDenhende, chief financial officer and chief strategy officer for Southwest Fuel Systems and Mint Turbines in Stroud, also attended. VanDenhende spoke recently at the Stroud Chamber banquet. It was a pleasure to get to see him again and to discuss his company’s growth in our House district.”

But, that’s not all (I feel like Monty Hall). Mint Turbines has been collecting Oklahoma Quality Jobs Incentive Payments since 2020. In 2024, his company got a ‘shout out’ from the Oklahoma Commerce Department, that included the following text:

Strategic Public/Private Partnerships and Industry Engagement

With nearly 72,000 square feet of factory and warehouse space, Mint Turbines is one of the few certified MRO facilities in North America. Known for its commitment to quality and customer service, the company serves both commercial and military sectors, ensuring top-tier turbine engine performance and reliability. Mint Turbines has partnered with ACES at numerous trade shows to boost their visibility within the aerospace industry and showcase their capabilities to key industry leaders.

They also received about $100,000 in training reimbursements from Department of Career and Technology Education and a 2 MILLION DOLLAR Federal Loan from the Export Bank.

So, no one on the State School Board has ANY EDUCATION EXPERIENCE at all and only attorney Mike Tinney is involved with someone who does. I’m sure that will be SUPER helpful to Oklahoma’s kids and will put us well on the way to improving our NAEP scores.

What’s even more interesting, is that Senator Julia Kirk put out THIS press release shortly after the “shake up” occurred.

Followed shortly by Senator Mark Mann.

Well thank God the DEMOCRATS are happy! That’s certainly why we elected another Republican Governor – to make Democrats happy!

The only other thing that sounds SUPER FISHY here, is that the Governor would decide TODAY, the day that Auditor Cindy Byrd was to make her audit of Tulsa Public Schools public, to make this School Board ‘shake up’ announcement based on the stupid premise of “political drama”. The Governor just had Bixby Superintendent Rob Miller stand with him for his state of the state address – touting the equally stupid cell phone bill (even funnier…Supt. Miller created his district’s policy without a law, yet the Governor pointed to him for support of the bill) and, as we all know, the Governor is from Tulsa.

Interestingly (I know, I keep using that word), Auditor Byrd was unable to release the findings because a truckload of lawyers working for TPS invoked an obscure law to halt its release. At her press conference she said the findings are significant and that she wasn’t allowed to provide the results to the public because of a law that no one had ever used in her 28 years as an auditor.

People, this state is in trouble. The people who run it do NOT HAVE OUR BEST INTERESTS AT HEART.

In fact, did you know that Governor Stitt still had financial interest in Gateway Financial Services and other Gateway entities as of 2019? Did you know that Oklahoma has given Gateway First – the fusion of Gateway Mortgage and Farmers Exchange Bank of Cherokee – hundreds of thousands of dollars in Quality Jobs Incentive Payments since 2019?

This State Board of Education ‘shake up’ was WRONG. Dead WRONG. It won’t help our NAEP scores, but I guarantee it’ll help score political points with someone somewhere – and that has to be what ALL of this is about. So, make no mistake, none of this was about helping Oklahoma kids!

Blog at WordPress.com.

Up ↑