A Win for the Good Guys

KFOR (Oklahoma City) has won a legal battle against the Oklahoma State Department of Education (OSDE), specifically State Superintendent Ryan Walters and his Press Secretary, Dan Isett. The dispute centers on the denial of access to public meetings and press conferences, where KFOR journalists were repeatedly placed in overflow rooms and excluded from discussions with Walters following State Board of Education meetings. This legal victory ensures that KFOR, a station with a 75-year broadcast history, will once again have full access to all OSDE events and be included in the press release distribution list.

Earlier this year, KFOR and The Institute for Free Speech filed a motion for a temporary restraining order and preliminary injunction after months of being denied access. Walters and Isett had previously argued that KFOR was not a legitimate news organization, a claim that KFOR strongly disputed. As a respected news outlet with a long-standing commitment to journalistic integrity, KFOR has consistently worked to hold government officials accountable and inform its viewers of important public matters. This ruling reinforces the station's right to cover government activities and attend public events without restriction.

As part of the resolution, Walters and Isett have agreed to allow KFOR journalists into all future press conferences and meetings and to add the station to the OSDE's press release email list. This agreement ensures that KFOR will have the same access to information as other media outlets, safeguarding its ability to report on the actions of the State Board of Education and other educational matters that impact Oklahomans.

In addition to the restored press access, OSDE has agreed to pay $17.91, a symbolic amount reflecting the year 1791, when the First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution was ratified, guaranteeing the freedoms of speech and the press. Attorney fees for KFOR have not yet been finalized, but Walters and his legal team have agreed to cover these costs. The settlement underscores the importance of press freedom and the media's role in holding public officials accountable.

H/T KFOR