Oklahoma supt. invites students to pray after announcing Bibles in classrooms

OKLAHOMA CITY, Okla. (KOKH) — Oklahoma State Superintendent Ryan Walters spoke directly to students in a new video praying for President-elect Trump.

Walters announced on Thursday that 500 Bibles had been purchased for Oklahoma AP government classes.

This comes just days after Walters launched the Office of Religious Liberty and Patriotism.

According to the Oklahoma State Department of Education, Walters is following Trump's educational principles for his new term, including freedom to pray.

In one of the videos Walters released, he invited students to pray with him.

He went on to pray for Trump and his team as they "bring change to the country."

Walters also prayed for teachers, students, parents, and schools to teach love of the country and for students to understand what makes America great.

According to a report from State Impact, Walters sent a letter to districts directing superintendents to send the video to all students' parents.

In the video, Walters holds up a bible that looks similar to the bible Trump held when he announced he was selling bibles online.

In a separate video, Walter says the Bibles include documents like the Constitution and Bill of Rights.

Earlier this year, Walters announced a mandate to have a bible in every classroom but that is being challenged in court by parents and religious groups right now.

The department recently canceled a bidding process for bible vendors as OSDE planned to buy 55,000 bibles for $3 million.

However, Walters said he is still exploring the matter.