Oklahoma State Superintendent Ryan Walters’ decision to appoint “Libs of TikTok” creator Chaya Raichik to the Oklahoma State Department of Education Library Media Advisory Committee is a particularly egregious example of elected officials trying to divert the public’s attention away from real issues to stoke division and gain national notoriety. The appointment is a calculated move that epitomizes conservative officials choosing sensationalism over the needs of their constituents.
The appointment is a calculated move that epitomizes conservative officials choosing sensationalism over the needs of their constituents.
Raichik is legendary in far-right social media circles for spreading misinformation and hate speech, much of which has targeted LGBTQ people. Walters shared some of her “Libs of Tik Tok” posts last year and, after he did, there were dozens of bomb threats throughout Tulsa Public Schools and death threats against a teacher. (Those threats were deemed noncredible.) Raichik’s posts have often preceded threats against public school teachers and health care professionals across the nation. Raichik has said she has “denounced violence” and says there’s no proof that the threats came from her followers.
Raichik did not respond to a set of questions sent by NBC News last week. The "Libs of TikTok" account replied to a request for comment on X with a compilation of drawings seemingly from young adult novels that depict sexual encounters and asked: “Do you think this is appropriate for kids in school?” After that NBC News report, she reiterated that “extra-legal violence and threats of violence have no place in our society.”
In a statement, Walters said of the appointment, “Chaya Raichik and I have developed a strong working relationship to rid schools of liberal, woke values.”
Raichik is not only unqualified to serve on this committee but she should be disqualified. According to the State Department of Education’s rules for membership in advisory councils, “Membership of such councils shall be representative of the people to be served.”
Is Raichik a librarian? No. Does she have a background in education? No. Does she have a child who attends an Oklahoma school? Again, no. She doesn’t even live here. She’s been a real estate agent in Brooklyn.
Walters and Raichik have repeatedly claimed that school libraries in Oklahoma are riddled with porn. Days after Walters her appointment, Raichik appeared at the state department of education’s monthly board meeting via recorded video response, delivering a message stating her goal is to “Fix our schools, take back our schools, remove porn from schools; you can’t stop us, and we’re going to be effective; we’re going to get this done.”
Last August, a local news station, KFOR, filed an open records request with the State Department of Education, asking which school sites had pornographic material, which books were deemed inappropriate and how many of those books were found. KFOR told me that, to this day, no proof has been provided.
Walters’ appointment of Raichik is a distraction tactic. His department erroneously issued substantial bonuses to at least nine teachers, some as high as $50,000, and is now demanding the repayment of these bonuses. The error of giving bonuses to teachers who apparently did not meet the qualifications for them has caused considerable disappointment among those teachers, not to mention financial distress for those who had already spent part of the bonus.
The distribution of those bonuses and Walters’ decision to “claw back” the money raise questions about his leadership and judgment
According to the Oklahoma Watch, Kristina Stadelman’s family, which just welcomed a new baby, “was able to make some home improvements, place a down payment on a bigger car for their now-seven-member family and support the household while she takes time off with the baby.” Walters’ department wants the money back by the end of next month.
The distribution of those bonuses and Walters’ decision to “claw back” the money, as reported by The Oklahoman, raise questions about his leadership and judgment. Walters told reporters last week that the bonus program “is the most successful” program in Oklahoma’s history. According to The Oklahoman’s reporting, Walters said, “… if any individual lied throughout the process, did not agree to follow the stipulations … we will claw back those dollars.”
Clearly, there’s been a loss of confidence in his fitness to run the department. That was the big story in Oklahoma last week. Then Walters announced the Raichik appointment.
Oklahoma House Democrats have asked Oklahoma Attorney General Gentner Drummond to look into the teacher bonus clawbacks and the State Department of Education’s rule for membership on advisory councils. Oklahoma Speaker of the House Charles McCall denied Democrats’ request to form a bipartisan committee to investigate allegations that would be grounds for impeachment.
What’s happening in the Sooner State reflects a broader pattern in which officials, instead of tackling real problems, manufacture controversies for political gain.
Take state Rep. J.J. Humphrey, who, responding to nonsense stories about students identifying as cats, has proposed a statewide “furry” ban requiring a student who dresses up like an animal at school be picked up by a parent or, get this, be removed by animal control.
These manufactured controversies produce more soundbites and headlines than meaningful dialogue or solutions
These manufactured controversies create a public uproar and produce more soundbites and headlines than meaningful dialogue or solutions. They also bring attention and help put these officials on a national political stage, often at the cost of the well-being and progress of the communities they are supposed to serve.
Real issues, including the underfunding of our schools, a lack of adequate mental health services and the need for more comprehensive career guidance, remain unaddressed.
Raichik’s appointment is a symptom of a larger problem in American politics of elected officials increasingly deciding to create controversies to gain fame and distract from their failures. This trend is detrimental to the democratic process and the fundamental principle of governance, which is to serve the public good.
As citizens, we have the power and responsibility to ensure that our elected officials prioritize our needs and address pressing problems. We must remain vigilant and demand that our elected representatives focus on real issues rather than engaging in political theater or partisan agendas. If the last few years are any indication of what’s to come, if we don’t show how much we disapprove, their tactics will only continue to escalate.