Exclusive: Oklahoma Education Board members speak out about inappropriate images in Walters’ office

In an exclusive sit-down interview with News 9, three members of the Oklahoma State Board of Education are publicly sharing their accounts of a startling incident that unfolded during a closed-door meeting inside State Superintendent Ryan Walters’ office.

The board members, Becky Carson, Ryan Deatherage, and Mike Tinney, allege they saw nude images playing on Walters’ office television during an executive session.

Their accounts come amid a growing political storm: Walters has called the accusations lies, claimed he has been cleared of wrongdoing, and demanded that the board members resign. The Oklahoma County Sheriff says the investigation is still in its early stages.

Below is a Q&A from their extended interview with News 9’s Robin Marsh and Karl Torp.

Q: Becky, can you describe what you saw and how it unfolded in the superintendent’s office?

Becky Carson: “We were in the middle of our executive meeting… I had noticed the TV was on when I first came in the room, but I really didn’t pay much attention… I had to make eye contact in that direction, and I was kind of in shock. I was like, ‘What am I seeing? Are those women naked?’… I kind of moved forward a little bit. And I was like, ‘No, they are fully unclothed.’”

Robin Marsh: So frontal nudity—you could see?

Carson: “Oh yes, yes.”

Q: Ryan, you were sitting next to Becky. Did you observe the same images?

Ryan Deatherage: “I was sitting to the left of Becky. I had actually noticed it the first time while the mother was talking to us about the transfer. I was in shock. I was trying to figure out how to bring it up without embarrassing the whole board… It just continued.”

Q: Can you describe the nature of the video?

Deatherage: “It was an older video. It was more grainy… maybe Three’s Company time frame, maybe MASH*. The clothing reminded me of a red and white striped shirt… a guy with a white hat, kind of a Gilligan-type hat.”

Q: Becky, how did you confront Walters? What happened in the moment?

Carson: “I basically treated him like a 15-year-old son. I said, ‘What am I watching? What is on your TV? Get it off now.’ He looked at me and then turned around and said, ‘Oh my gosh,’ and stood up, picked up the remote… he goes, ‘I can’t get it off.’ And I said, ‘Get it off immediately. Get it off now.’”

Q: Did Walters appear shocked by the images?

Carson: “I don’t think it was shock of what he was seeing. I think it was his reaction to being caught. I compare it to a teenage kid that’s been caught doing something wrong.”

Mike Tinney: “He turned around, looked at it, got out of his chair very rapidly… He came back down and sat down in his chair, didn’t say anything. And we just kind of looked at each other like, ‘What just happened?’ And then we just went back to work.”

Q: Walters is now calling for your resignations. How do you respond to that?

Carson: “I do not plan on resigning. The one thing that him and I can agree on is I hope we can get back to work to do the job that we were put there to do.”

Deatherage: “I take it as a privilege to serve… until the governor actually asks me to step off that board or some other circumstance, I’m going to stay and serve those children of Oklahoma.”

WATCH: Ryan Walters Calls for resignation of board members

Q: Walters suggested this was a coordinated political attack. Did the governor direct you to do this?

Carson: “Unequivocally, no. It’s almost ludicrous.”

Tinney: “It’s absolute nonsense… Even if some world where that happened, none of us would have done it anyway.”

Q: Why did you choose to come forward and do a full interview?

Carson: “We’re sitting in an executive meeting where we’re looking at teacher revocations… sometimes for even lesser offenses. If we’re going to hold teachers accountable… then we have to hold the people in leadership accountable as well.”

Deatherage: “We want to dig in… We want to find solutions… We want to move the bar from 50th [in education rankings] to higher. That’s what I’m here for.”

Q: Becky, you were the one who filed the report. Why did you take that step on your own?

Carson: “I thought it was important that there was a thorough investigation and I knew that was the only way possible… we’ve got to hold our leaders to that same standard.”

Q: What do you want from this investigation?

Carson: “I want the investigation to continue and be thorough… I’m good with whatever happens—I just want to go back to business.”

Tinney: “Whatever is true—that’s all we want. We just want to know the facts.”

Q: What will happen when you all meet again with Ryan Walters on August 28?

Carson: “I will go into it with an open mind… I’m there to help students and teachers. That’s my job.”

Deatherage: “It’s tough to stand in the gap and do what’s right. But what’s right is to go into that boardroom and conduct myself in a professional manner.”

Tinney: “We need to focus on our job and not on feelings… just let some things roll off like water off a duck’s back.”

Q: What’s your final message to Oklahoma parents?

Deatherage: “This board is working for them… we want to move that bar up. We want to hear from them. We want to do what’s right.”

The next State Board of Education meeting is scheduled for August 28. The Oklahoma County Sheriff's Office says its investigation into the incident is ongoing.

MORE:

1. Reports allege Ryan Walters displayed nude women on office TV. Board member, lawmakers react
2. Supt. Ryan Walters under investigation following allegations of inappropriate images in office; What to know
3. Superintendent Ryan Walters' allegations lead to bipartisan calls for investigation
4. Political Analyst Talks Possible Next Steps In Walters' Investigation
5. Ryan Walters issues statement after OSDE explicit video allegations

Timeline of Events: 

Thursday, July 24, 2025:

1. Incident Occurs:
2. During a State Board of Education meeting held in Ryan Walters' office, board members Becky Carson and Ryan Deatherage reported seeing a video featuring nude women on a TV. They state they were the only attendees seated in a position to see the screen.
3. Another board member, Chris Van Denhende, confirms media reporting and says that while he could not see the screen, Walters did react and turned off the TV when Carson called attention to it.

Friday, July 25, 2025:

1. Allegations Reported:
2. The incident is reported by multiple board members to the media, describing seeing images of nude women on the office TV during the meeting. Lawmakers express concern, calling for clarity and transparency. Board member Van Denhende says, "I have no reason to doubt what Becky Carson and Ryan Deatherage have said.".

Weekend (July 26-27, 2025):

1. Walters Responds:
2. Walters issues public statements claiming the allegations are "politically motivated attacks" by board members with a political agenda. He categorically denies any involvement or knowledge of what appeared on the TV, saying, "I have no knowledge of what was on the TV screen during the alleged incident," and asserts that none of his devices were used to display inappropriate content.

Monday, July 28, 2025:

1. Investigation Referred:
2. The Office of Management and Enterprise Services (OMES) refers the matter to the Oklahoma County Sheriff’s Office for investigation.
3. The Oklahoma County Sheriff’s Office confirms the case was referred to them and clarifies the Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation and Attorney General’s office are not involved.
4. OMES says their own authority is limited to administrative reviews and records preservation, and criminal investigation falls to law enforcement.

Tuesday, July 29, 2025:

1. Walters Holds Press Conference:
2. Walters publicly defends himself, calling the last five days "the nastiest, biggest lie ever lodged [against] an official in Oklahoma."
3. He accuses board members Becky Carson and Ryan Deatherage, the press, teachers' unions, and even Gov. Kevin Stitt of orchestrating a "coordinated attack" to "crucify" his character and derail his education agenda.
4. Walters claims both OMES and the Oklahoma County Sheriff’s Office have "cleared" him and insists investigations found no evidence of wrongdoing, specifically stating no personal devices were connected to the TV and only cable was accessible.
5. He calls for Carson and Deatherage to resign "in disgrace for the lies they told" and suggests the governor was possibly involved in directing the board to make false allegations.
6. Walters tells the media, "My family has watched as a press corps showed why the public has zero trust in their reporting."
7. Board Members Respond:
8. Board members, including Carson, Deatherage, and Mike Tinney, issue a joint statement:
9. They emphasize none have directly accused Walters of anything but simply reported inappropriate content that, if seen by a teacher, would result in their license being revoked.
10. They call on Walters to cooperate with law enforcement and to "refrain from smearing" their reputations.
11. Investigation Status Clarified:
12. The Oklahoma County Sheriff’s Office publicly contradicts Walters' claim, stating, "We have not cleared anyone. The investigation is still ongoing... This investigation is still in its infancy, so it would be inappropriate to discuss who we plan to speak with or any evidence we are seeking. You can, however, expect a thorough investigation with the results being made public at the conclusion.".
13. OMES similarly states its review is separate and limited in scope.

Board Members: 

Who is Ryan Deatherage?

In 2025, expressing dissatisfaction with testing scores attributed to the state by the National Assessment of Educational Progress, Gov. Stitt removed three members, Donald Burdick, Katie Quebedeaux and Kendra Wesson.

Stitt later appointed the three board members’ replacements: Ryan Deatherage, Michael Tinney and Chris Van Dehende.

Ryan Deatherage, currently the Director of Emergency Management and 911 for Kingfisher County, works to revitalize local emergency programs, implement effective policies, and foster community engagement to ensure public safety, according to OSDE.

Deatherage graduated from Bethel High School in 1991 and later earned his Bachelor of Science in Agricultural Business and Management from Oklahoma Panhandle State University in 1996.

Additionally, Deatherage also serves as the Associate Director of Oklahoma Baptist Disaster Relief, leading large-scale disaster response efforts across multiple states and managing teams of thousands of volunteers.

Deatherage additionally served as a member of the Kingfisher City Council.

Who is Becky Carson?

Becky Carson is a retired special education teacher who spent 30 years teaching in both Moore and Edmond Public Schools.

Carson was appointed by Gov. Stitt to the board in 2025. At the time, Stitt’s office said Carson spent her career planning and implementing individualized programs for students with mild disabilities in grades three through five.

Carson received her master’s in education from the University of Central Oklahoma in 1988, and also has an Oklahoma Teaching Certificate in Elementary Education, Learning Disability, Mentally Handicapped, and Physically Handicapped areas.

Outside of education, Carson has also owned several small businesses, including Young Chef’s Academy and Prairie Soul Designs.

Who is Michael Tinney?

A native of Mangum, Michael Tinney was the second replacement to the board appointed by Gov. Stitt in 2025.

Tinney is a graduate of Mangum High School and graduated from the University of Oklahoma College of Law in 1983. Tinney later earned a master’s degree in education from Southwestern Oklahoma State University.

Tinney also taught for three years in Chattanooga, Oklahoma, and currently serves as the president of the Oklahoma City Chapter of the Christian Legal Society, a nonprofit Christian organization advocating for a religious interpretation of the legal system.