OMES refers Ryan Walters office incident to Oklahoma County Sheriff

The Oklahoma County Sheriff’s Office has confirmed it was asked by the Office of Management and Enterprise Services (OMES) to review what happened inside State Superintendent Ryan Walters’ office during last week’s State Board of Education meeting.

News 9 confirmed the request Monday morning. The inquiry follows allegations that inappropriate content appeared on a television in Walters’ office during a closed-door executive session.

The Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation and the Attorney General’s Office are not involved in the matter.

What are the allegations against Ryan Walters?

Two State Board of Education members, Becky Carson and Ryan Deatherage, say they saw a video featuring nude women displayed on a TV in Walters' office during last Thursday’s executive session. Both said they were seated in the only positions that had a clear view of the screen.

Read more: Reports allege Ryan Walters displayed nude women on office TV. Board member, lawmakers react

Another board member, Chris Van Denhende, confirmed media reporting on the incident, stating he couldn’t see the screen himself but described Walters’ reaction as consistent with something inappropriate being viewed.

What has Ryan Walters said in response?

Walters denies any wrongdoing and called the allegations “categorically false.” In a statement issued Sunday, he said, “I have no knowledge of what was on the TV screen during the alleged incident.”

Read more: Ryan Walters issues statement after OSDE explicit video allegations

Walters dismissed the reports as politically motivated attacks designed to distract from his education reform agenda. He also accused certain board members of being “blatantly dishonest.”

What are state leaders saying?

The incident has prompted bipartisan calls for transparency. House Speaker Kyle Hilbert urged Walters to unlock and turn over any relevant devices for review. Senate Pro Tem Lonnie Paxton and Sen. Adam Pugh both described the situation as “bizarre” and “troubling,” calling for clarity on what took place.

Read more: Superintendent Ryan Walters' allegations lead to bipartisan calls for investigation

Democratic leaders have also weighed in, with House Minority Leader Cyndi Munson and Democratic Party Chair John Waldron both pointing to broader concerns about Walters’ leadership and the state of public education in Oklahoma, which recently ranked 50th in the nation.