Latest news with #nudeimages
Yahoo
9 hours ago
- Yahoo
Ryan Walters reacts to investigations into nude image allegations
OKLAHOMA CITY (KFOR) — A criminal investigation is underway after bombshell allegations of explicit nude images played on a TV in State Superintendent Ryan Walters' office during last week's State School Board meeting. The Oklahoma County Sheriff's Office (OCSO) tells News 4 that state office officials brought them in because they wanted to figure out not only if what allegedly happened in Walters' office was unethical, but also if it amounted to a crime. OCSO posted this letter from the Oklahoma Office of Management and Enterprise Services requesting an investigation into Walters. 'On July 25, 2025, Becky Carson submitted a complaint to OMES General Counselstating, 'she was subjected to pornographic images on the monitor of Ryan Walters.' Walters called a news conference late Tuesday afternoon to say that he had been cleared by OMES and the Oklahoma County Sheriff's office. The OSCO office tells News 4 that is not the case and the investigation is ongoing. This is a developing story. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. Solve the daily Crossword
Yahoo
9 hours ago
- Politics
- Yahoo
Oklahoma County Sheriff's Office joins investigation into Walters nude images allegations
OKLAHOMA CITY (KFOR) — A criminal investigation is underway after bombshell allegations of explicit nude images played on a TV in State Superintendent Ryan Walters' office during last week's State School Board meeting. The Oklahoma County Sheriff's Office (OCSO) tells News 4 that state office officials brought them in because they wanted to figure out not only if what allegedly happened in Walters' office was unethical, but also if it amounted to a crime. RELATED: Investigation inquiry underway after bombshell reports say board members saw naked women on Ryan Walters' office TV during meeting But the specifics of what that investigation will include are pretty murky right now. 'We're looking into it,' OCSO spokesperson Aaron Brilbeck told News 4 Monday. OCSO says the State's Office of Management and Enterprise Services (OMES) reached out Monday, asking them to investigate if anything criminal happened. 'We just don't know whether there was any criminal activity,' Brilbeck said. 'And that's the role of the Oklahoma County Sheriff's Office and our investigators right now is to look into that.' News 4 reported Friday that state school board members Ryan Deatherage and Becky Carson claimed they saw images of clearly fully-nude women playing on a TV behind Walters as a family spoke to board members during the closed session portion of last Thursday's State School Board meeting. RELATED: Third board member speaks out after allegations of naked women on TV in Supt. Walters' office They told The Oklahoman and NonDoc that they confronted Walters, he looked at the TV, grabbed the remote, and turned it off without acknowledging what happened. News 4 reported that state employment policies make clear it's a fireable offense to look at explicit content on state-issued devices. What's not clear is how those images—allegedly—ended up on Walters' TV. State lawmakers tasked OMES with getting to the bottom of it. House Speaker Kyle Hilbert asked Walters to turn over all his electronic devices to investigators. With OMES only handing the investigation to the OCSO a couple of hours before News 4 spoke with OCSO Monday, officials weren't sure who currently had possession of Walters' devices. 'I don't know the answer to that,' Brilbeck said. It's not clear why OMES asked the Sheriff's Office to investigate, when the Oklahoma Highway Patrol is the primary law enforcement agency in charge of the State Capitol complex. News 4's calls and emails to OMES went unanswered Monday. News 4 has confirmed OMES officials met with Sheriff Tommie Johnson personally on Monday. 'Sheriff Johnson sat down and spoke with OMES, and they asked about their concerns and asked if we wouldn't mind looking into it,' Brilbeck said. So far, Walters has not denied explicit pictures appeared on his TV—only suggesting if something did happen, it wasn't his fault. His office said in a statement Friday, in part:'Any number of people have access to these offices.' RELATED: Supt. Walters unapologetic in latest statement regarding 'nude women' allegations And—although the board members never claimed to know how the alleged images ended up on Walters' TV—in another statement Sunday, Walters claimed: 'Any suggestion that a device of mine was used to stream inappropriate content on the television set is categorically false. I have no knowledge of what was on the TV screen during the alleged incident, and there is absolutely no truth to any implication of wrongdoing.' 'We're aware of what has been told to the media,' Brilbeck said. 'But obviously we have to do our own due diligence to speak with those witnesses that are involved to determine whether there was anything criminal.' News 4 asked OMES officials if they have taken possession of Walters' devices and if they'll still be running their own non-criminal investigation while the Sheriff's Office runs their criminal one. OMES did not respond. As for a timeline on how long OCSO's investigation might take, Brilbeck said it's simply too early to know right now. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. Solve the daily Crossword
Yahoo
9 hours ago
- Politics
- Yahoo
Walters falsely claims investigators cleared him in nude images investigation, ignores questions seeking clarity
OKLAHOMA CITY (KFOR) — On Tuesday—days after two state school board members said they saw nude images of women playing on a TV in state Superintendent Ryan Walters' office—Walters denied any wrongdoing and falsely claimed investigators had cleared him. He also accused Governor Stitt of orchestrating the entire thing as a 'character assassination,' but refused to answer reporters' questions seeking clarity and evidence to back his made the comments during a press conference just outside Governor Kevin Stitt's office Tuesday afternoon, where he accused the governor and his appointed board members of political sabotage.'These board members decided to construct a lie to destroy my character,' Walters said. 'Lies will have consequences.' RELATED: Ryan Walters reacts to investigations into nude image allegations Walters called the press conference after Oklahoma State School Board members Ryan Deatherage and Becky Carson told The Oklahoman and NonDoc last week they saw nude images of women playing on a TV inside Walters' office during Thursday's board said they immediately confronted Walters, who looked at the screen, scrambled for a remote, and turned off the TV without acknowledging what had appeared on Stitt appointed both Deatherage and Carson to the board earlier this year amid a falling out with Walters. On Friday, the Oklahoma Office of Management and Enterprise Services (OMES) opened an investigation. News 4 reported that OMES asked the Oklahoma County Sheriff's Office (OCSO) to begin a criminal investigation told News 4 Monday it was way too early to jump to any conclusions.'We're aware of what has been told to the media, but obviously we have to do our own due diligence to speak with those witnesses that are involved to determine whether there was anything criminal,' said OCSO spokesperson Aaron Brilbeck said Monday.24 hours later on Tuesday, Walters falsely claimed investigators had already cleared him.'We have had our name cleared by both OMES and the sheriff's office,' Walters said. 'There is nothing scandalous that I was a part of whatsoever.' On Tuesday, Brilbeck told News 4 that Walters' claim is not remotely true. 'That simply isn't the case,' Brilbeck told News 4 on Tuesday. 'Our investigation is still ongoing. In fact, I would categorize it as being in its infancy. This is going to be a very thorough investigation. And once the investigation is complete, we're going to be very transparent with our findings.' Walters offered no evidence to support his claims about investigators clearing him RELATED: Oklahoma County Sheriff's Office joins investigation into Walters nude images allegations Instead, he turned his focus toward the two board members who first raised the concerns.'I cannot begin to describe the disgusting nature of the lies leveled against me by board members, by the media, and by the teachers' union,' he said. 'This has been a coordinated attack to crucify my character. They should resign immediately in disgrace for the lies that they've told.'He also turned his attention to Governor Stitt, questioning whether the governor directed the board members to lie.'Did he direct these board members to lie about me? Did he direct his board members to go in and disrupt everything in these board meetings?' Walters did not deny nude images appeared on the screen in his office. He claimed the TV was tuned to a cable network and said none of his personal devices were involved with what may or may not have happened.'None of my devices were ever connected to that TV,' Walters reporters asked which cable network was playing, Walters said he didn't know. He also didn't respond when News 4 asked whether someone else's device could have cast content to the screen.'You're saying none of your devices, but have they ruled out that it couldn't have been someone else's device casting something on that TV?' News 4 asked.'I'm telling you, I just met with the sheriff's office yesterday and I met with them the day before,' Walters said. 'They've concluded there weren't devices connected to that.'Brilbeck, again, said that's not true.'Again, I'd like to reiterate that our investigation is ongoing,' he said. 'We haven't cleared anyone. We haven't determined whether there is any wrongdoing at all.'Walters never explained what he believes Deatherage and Carson lied a joint statement Tuesday, the Deatherage and Carson told News 4:'No board member has accused Superintendent Walters of anything, we only brought attention to inappropriate content on a TV—content that would cause a teacher in our state to lose their license. As the investigation continues, we urge Superintendent Walters to cooperate with law enforcement and refrain from smearing the names, characters and reputations of board members.'Walters also lashed out at the media for reporting on Deatherage and Carson's claims.'So many in the press, the opponents of what we're doing, they despise the work being done by Oklahomans,' he said. 'They despise the will of the people.' RELATED: Supt. Walters unapologetic in latest statement regarding 'nude women' allegations Since Friday, News 4 has been reaching out to Walters' office with questions about what happened and asking for any facts or evidence to back up his five days, News 4 still has not received a ended his press conference after taking only three questions. News 4 attempted to continue asking Walters for facts and clarity as he walked away, but Walters ignored News 4's questions.'Are the board members lying that you turned off the TV?' News 4 asked. 'Did you see what was on the TV?'He didn't 4 tried again.'Superintendent Walters, why has your office not responded to our inquiries at all this week?' News 4 asked 'We've tried to get facts from your office, but they've not responded. How can you say the media is not getting the facts?'Still, no answer. Another reporter asked Walters if he would allow the press to see the inside of his office and show the press how the TV works. RELATED: Investigation inquiry underway after bombshell reports say board members saw naked women on Ryan Walters' office TV during meeting Walters ignored that question, troopers attempted to block News 4 from following Walters down a public staircase, giving him time to exit through a side door before News 4 could ask anything Rep. Forrest Bennett, D-Oklahoma City, witnessed the press conference and aftermath.'Ryan Walters came up here and lied about the scandal, lied about the media, lied about teachers unions, uses and another opportunity to attack anybody that he could,' Bennett said. 'Lied about the investigation, lied by saying that it was over when it's not. Created a spectacle of himself.'Bennett also attempted to ask Walters questions as he walked away.'I was asking him if he was happier to be talking about this scandal than us being 50th in education under his watch… and he didn't answer at all,' Bennett said. 'He did tell me he liked my hair.'Bennett said the superintendent's attitude is not something any Oklahoman should accept.'This is a scandal that shows he's a childish, immature, irresponsible politician,' Bennett said. 'But the reality is the people of Oklahoma don't need to be bothered by meaningless scandals like this. Nothing is not meaningless. And this is a serious dereliction of duty.'News 4 reached out to Governor Stitt's office to see if he had a response to Walters' 4 did not hear 4 did hear from both House Speaker Kyle Hilbert (R-Bristow) and Senate President Pro Tem Lonnie Paxton (R-Tuttle). In a statement, Hilbert said: 'From the start, I have stated the need for a transparent third-party review of this situation. Regardless of one's thoughts on the State Superintendent, he deserves to be treated as innocent until proven guilty, the same as anyone in this situation. As Speaker of the House, my desire is to let the independent investigation play out and where ever that investigation leads, the House stands ready to take appropriate action, if any is needed.' In a statement, Paxton's spokesperson said: 'After discussions this afternoon with OMES and the Sheriff's Office, we understand the investigation remains ongoing. We believe Superintendent Walters is entitled to due process as this inquiry continues. It's important that he, along with members of the board, are given a fair opportunity to explain their account of what took place.' Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. Solve the daily Crossword
Washington Post
2 days ago
- Washington Post
Oklahoma authorities investigate reports of explicit images on state education chief's TV
An Oklahoma sheriff's office Monday opened an investigation over reports that images of nude women were displayed on the state's school superintendent office television during a meeting with education board members. Top Oklahoma lawmakers have sought answers over accounts given by two State Board of Education members, who said they saw the images during a meeting in Ryan Walters 's office Thursday. Another board member, Chris Van Denhende, said he was not in a position to see the television but that 'something was on the screen that should not have been,' based on Walters' reaction.
Associated Press
2 days ago
- Politics
- Associated Press
Oklahoma authorities investigate reports of explicit images on state education chief's TV
An Oklahoma sheriff's office Monday opened an investigation over reports that images of nude women were displayed on the state's school superintendent office television during a meeting with education board members. Top Oklahoma lawmakers have sought answers over accounts given by two State Board of Education members, who said they saw the images during a meeting in Ryan Walters 's office Thursday. Another board member, Chris Van Denhende, said he was not in a position to see the television but that 'something was on the screen that should not have been,' based on Walters' reaction. The investigation is in the early stages, said Aaron Brilbeck, a spokesperson for the Oklahoma County Sheriff's Office. He said it was not clear if any laws were violated. Walters, a Republican, has spent much of his first term in office lauding President Donald Trump, feuding with teachers unions and local school superintendents, and trying to end what he describes as 'wokeness' in public schools. Brilbeck said the sheriff's office was investigating at the request of the state's Office of Management and Enterprise Services, which handles technology, human resources and property management issues for state government. Education board members Becky Carson and Ryan Deatherage told the online news outlet NonDoc that they saw a video featuring naked women in Walters' office during the executive session. They said that they were the only people seated in places where they could see the screen. Carson said that when she asked Walters to turn it off he expressed confusion before doing so. Walters said in a post on the social platform X on Sunday that 'any suggestion that a device of mine was used to stream inappropriate content on the television set is categorically false.' 'I have no knowledge of what was on the TV screen during the alleged incident, and there is absolutely no truth to any implication of wrongdoing,' he wrote. Walters' office did not immediately reply to a request by The Associated Press for comment about the investigation on Monday. Van Denhende told the AP that he's fine with the sheriff's department investigating, though 'I'm not certain if it is a violation of law or state policy.' Senate Pro Tem Lonnie Paxton, a Republican, in a news release on Friday said it was 'a bizarre and troubling situation,' and that 'the accounts made public by board members paint a strange, unsettling scene that demands clarity and transparency.' State Sen. Adam Pugh, a Republican who is the Senate education chairman, said in the news release that the reports from the meeting 'raise a number of questions.' Carson nor Deatherage immediately replied Monday to a request for comment from the AP.
