Walters’ grip on the state’s schools was “a microcosm of what we’re now facing at the federal level,” said the Rev. Shannon Fleck, executive director of Faithful America, spoke on the steps of the Oklahoma state capitol earlier this year during an event supporting public schools. Last year Oklahoma’s Ryan Walters told schools to show students a video of him praying for President Donald Trump. In April, Ryan Walters spoke at an Oklahoma State University Turning Point USA event, but left early when students jeered him. He recently announced that 151 special education teachers, including 34 from out of state, would receive signing bonuses of $20,000.