Editor's note: This story was updated at 5:00 p.m. on April 16 to reflect that Summer Boismier's statement was posted on the social media platform X at the time of this article's publication but has now since been deleted.
Former Norman High School English teacher Summer Boismier released a statement in a now deleted post on social media platform X following the dismissal of her defamation lawsuit against State Superintendent Ryan Walters.
On April 10, U.S. District Judge Bernard Jones ruled Boismier had made herself a public figure by doing multiple interviews and posting on social media, therefore her accusation that Walters defamed her was invalid. Jones also granted Walters’ motion for a summary judgment, which is still to come, according to the ruling.
In the now deleted statement posted on Wednesday, Boismier wrote that the ruling was a “setback,” but the fight for Oklahoma public education continues. People must take action and promote free speech, she wrote.
“Words can shatter livelihoods, strangle speech and embolden bigotry when weaponized by those entrusted to lead yet eager to divide,” Boismier wrote.
In her statement, Boismier encouraged people to create change by speaking out at school board meetings, supporting educators who resist “censorship” and contacting their local representatives. This situation is not about the books themselves, but the students, the statement read.
Walters also posted a statement following the ruling, which reads that it was a victory for educational integrity.
“We have sent a clear message that Oklahoma’s schools will remain free from political indoctrination and that our children deserve an education that is focused on core academic values, not promotion of controversial ideologies,” Walters wrote in the statement.
Background
On the first day of school in 2022, Boismier’s classroom bookshelf in Norman High School was wrapped in red paper that had “books the state doesn’t want you to read” written on it. The display also featured a QR code that led to Brooklyn Public Library’s Books Unbanned catalog, which promotes banned books.
The demonstration protested school district guidelines for teachers to review their classrooms for books that violated House Bill 1775. If they couldn’t check their books before school began, they were instructed to cover them.
HB 1775 is a 2021 state law that restricts what schools teach about race and gender. It prohibits teaching that one is superior to another, that some people are inherently oppressive and that they bear guilt for the deeds of others of the same race or sex.
Following parent and student complaints, Boismier resigned that August and currently lives in New York.
Later that month, Walters posted about the controversy online, calling for Boismier’s teaching license to be revoked. It was revoked in an order released in September 2024.
In his initial post, when he was secretary of education, Walters incorrectly wrote that Boismier was fired, but corrected himself in a second post. The mistake led to Boismier’s defamation lawsuit, which asked for at least $75,000, Oklahoma Voice reported.
This story was edited by Ana Barboza and Ismael Lele.
