Oklahoma Attorney General Gentner Drummond’s office said Friday that state Superintendent Ryan Walters, a Republican, cannot force schools to show his video announcement of a new religious division in which he prays for President-elect Donald Trump.

Walters sent an email to Oklahoma public school superintendents on Thursday, demanding they show students his video announcing the new Department of Religious Freedom and Patriotism within the state Department of Education. School districts were also ordered to send the video to students’ parents.

What was in Ryan Walters’ video?

Walters says in the video announcement that religious freedom has been attacked and patriotism mocked “by woke teachers unions.”

He also said the new department would “oversee the investigation of abuses of individual religious freedom or expressions of patriotism.”

In the video, Walter prays for the American leaders and tells the students beforehand that they do not have to participate in the prayer.

“Specifically, I pray for President Donald Trump and his team as they continue to effect change in the country,” Walters said in the video.

What did AG Gentner Drummond’s office say?

Phil Bacharach, the communications director for Drummond’s office, said in a statement Thursday: “There is no legal authority for the superintendent of state schools to require all students to watch a specific video.”

“Not only is this edict unenforceable, it violates parental rights, local control and individual rights to free exercise,” Bacharach said.

Dan Isett, the press secretary for the state Education Department, did not answer questions about the department’s authority to order schools to show Walters’ video to students and parents, nor about what punishment schools that defy the order will face, the release said Oklahoma. Vote.

However, he did say: “Supt. Walters ends the ongoing attacks on President Donald Trump and his agenda to bring prayer back into schools,” Oklahoma Voice reported.

Newsweek Contacted Isett via email on Friday.

Meanwhile, two of the state’s largest districts, Edmond in suburban Oklahoma City and Bixby in suburban Tusla, said they have no plans to show Walters’ video to students.

Donald Trump’s Bible ordered for schools in Oklahoma

In June, Walters ordered schools to include the Bible in lesson plans for students in grades 5 through 12. Several school districts have previously said they will ignore Walters’ mandate. Meanwhile, Walters faces two lawsuits over his June term.

On Thursday, Walters posted on constitution, the Bill of Rights, the Declaration of Independence and the Pledge of Allegiance.

The state education department said in a statement that the 500 Bibles are “God Bless the USA Bibles.” They said the Bibles were ordered Thursday for about $25,000 and will arrive “in the coming weeks.”

This article contains reporting from The Associated Press.