• Oklahoma's new schools superintendent, Lindel Fields, has rescinded the previous mandate requiring Bible instruction in classrooms.
• Fields stated he has “no plans to distribute Bibles or a Biblical character education curriculum in classrooms.”
• The prior mandate faced lawsuits for being unconstitutional, with strong opposition from civil rights groups.
• Many school districts had already opted not to comply with the previous superintendent's directive.
• This policy shift aims to respect the constitutional boundaries regarding state sponsorship of religion in education.

The Oklahoma Department of Education, under new Superintendent Lindel Fields, announced the rescission of a controversial mandate that required Bibles in classrooms and their integration into lesson plans for students in grades 5 through 12. Fields emphasized in a statement that there are “no plans to distribute Bibles or a Biblical character education curriculum in classrooms,” marking a significant policy shift aimed at respecting local school district decisions, according to latimes and cbsnews.

The original mandate, issued by former Superintendent Ryan Walters, faced immediate backlash and was challenged in court by various parents, teachers, and religious leaders citing its unconstitutionality. As many as ten school districts in the state had previously decided against complying with Walters’ requirement, illustrating the community's mixed feelings towards mandated religious instruction in public schools, according to reuters and indiatimes.