Oklahoma State Superintendent of Public Instruction Ryan Walters is in the spotlight for demanding the immediate firing of Shane Murnan, the principal of John Glenn Elementary School in the Western Heights School District. Murnan, a drag queen who goes by the stage name “Shantel Mandalay,” has not only stirred controversy because of his extracurricular activities but also due to prior child pornography charges, which were later dismissed.
“It’s outrageous to have a drag queen running a school, you know, here in Oklahoma that doesn’t line up with Oklahoma values,” Walters told Fox News. The Superintendent campaigned on ousting critical theory and gender theory from Oklahoma classrooms and now sees hiring Murnan as a glaring example of ideological indoctrination in schools.
Oklahoma district who hired drag queen to be elementary school principal faces backlash: 'Unimaginable' https://t.co/vOppOlENnD
— Fox News (@FoxNews) September 8, 2023
While the district acknowledges the old charges against Murnan, saying they “were dismissed years ago,” it stands by its decision to keep him in charge. The school district said, “We are very excited about his vision for John Glenn and for the community.” This viewpoint clashes directly with Walters, who believes that Murnan’s role is part of a broader left-wing attempt to influence young minds inappropriately.
“I think that the Left has absolutely an agenda for our kids, that they are at war with our kids in the classroom,” Walters stated. According to him, this is not merely about hiring a controversial principal but part of a calculated move to “break down a child’s mind, break down the classroom, break down the family.”
Meet Shane Murnan- elementary principal at @wh_isd.
Shane is a drag queen who performs for children and reads books about gender to kids while dressed in drag.
Shane was also previously arrested on child porn charges.
Would you want this person in charge of your kid’s school? pic.twitter.com/yNuZyt3HRK
— Libs of TikTok (@libsoftiktok) August 30, 2023
Murnan’s activities outside the school involve participation in drag queen story hours at public libraries and employment at an Oklahoma City gay bar called “The Boom.” For Walters and many concerned parents, the principal’s activities conflict with the values they wish to see upheld in their children’s education.
Walters expressed a broader concern that the left-wing “woke” agenda is gaining ground in schools, leading to a disconnect between what parents expect from an educational institution and what is being delivered. “No parent wants to send their kids to school knowing that they could be exposed to this radical gender theory in any capacity. This woke war on our kids has to stop,” Walters emphasized.
Reports out of Western Heights are disturbing. I share parents' concern and outrage, and will always defend Oklahoma values pic.twitter.com/RvVI3KPAhy
— Superintendent Ryan Walters (@RyanWaltersSupt) August 31, 2023
The resurfacing of old charges against Murnan has also fueled public debate. Although the child pornography charges from the early 2000s were dismissed, their resurgence adds another layer of complexity to the issue. Given that the court records point out that the charges were dismissed because the state couldn’t prove Murnan possessed illicit materials, many are left questioning whether this is the kind of individual they want at the helm of an elementary school.
The call from Oklahoma’s top education official to fire Murnan is a revealing moment in the clash between traditional community values and the progressive ideologies that some argue are infiltrating the American educational system. While the school district is standing by its principal for now, it’s clear that this issue taps into broader anxieties about the direction of American education.
