Oklahoma State Board of Education members want to hire an attorney to represent the board, but Superintendent Ryan Walters canceled this week’s meeting, where they planned to vote.

Legal Counsel Critical for Board Decisions

The board states that it can’t move forward without legal counsel to advise on its duties and procedures. The board’s previous attorney, appointed in November, stepped down on August 12. Now, four members are pushing to hire a new lawyer selected from the Attorney General's approved list.

“The statute allows them to have their own attorney because their interest is not always the exact interest of the state superintendent,” said Bob Burke, the attorney representing the four board members.

Burke says his clients are trying to refocus on the board after months of dist

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