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Former Oklahoma Superintendent Ryan Walters targeted this teacher. Now, he’s suing for defamation
Regan Killackey, an AP English teacher at Edmond Memorial High School, in his classroom. In July, the state Education Department moved to revoke his teaching certificate over a 5-year-old family photo of a Donald Trump mask.
By Beth Wallis, StateImpact Oklahoma
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An Edmond teacher who found himself in the crosshairs of former State Superintendent Ryan Walters is suing Walters and the state for defamation and more.
In July of 2024, the State Department of Education considered an order to suspend and then revoke Regan Killackey’s teaching certificate. At issue was a five-year-old photo of Killackey and his children at a costume shop. One child wore a Trump mask and another held up a plastic sword.
In September 2024, Walters re-posted a Libs of TikTok post with a photo of Killackey, alleging he was acting out stabbing President Donald Trump. Walters captioned his post with, “There is never a time that threatening a former president is appropriate. We will not tolerate it in Oklahoma schools.”
After a back-and-forth that lasted over a year, current superintendent Lindel Fields dismissed the revocation application. But Killackey alleges in a new lawsuit that Walters and the state department violated his due process rights and defamed him, among other claims.
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Here’s what’s happening in Oklahoma today:
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• Former Logan County Assistant District Attorney sentenced to 20 Years (Guthrie News Page)
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