A legal fight rooted in transparency and trust has drawn to a close. The Ryan Walters-era OSDE lawsuit, filed by an online news organization against the Oklahoma State Department of Education over access to public records, has been resolved, according to court filings made public this week.
The resolution marks a turning point after months of friction over open-records practices at the state education agency.
Agreed Judgment Filed in Oklahoma County
Court documents posted Tuesday, Dec. 30, show that Oklahoma Watch, reporter Jennifer Palmer, and the Oklahoma State Department of Education jointly asked the court to enter an agreed judgment.
The motion was signed by Leslie Briggs, an attorney with the Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press representing Oklahoma Watch, and Jacquelyne Phelps, interim general counsel for the state agency. The parties requested that Oklahoma County District Judge Don Andrews schedule a hearing to formally enter the agreed judgment.
The filing did not disclose the terms of the agreement. Briggs said exhibits tied to the motion were inadvertently removed during the electronic filing process, preventing her from sharing details until the issue is corrected.
