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FOIOK.bsky.social @foiok.bsky.social · 21h

2025-10-7 RCFP Ltr to UCO President Todd Lamb vfinal exhibits.pdf

drive.google.com

FOIOK.bsky.social @foiok.bsky.social · 21h

/2 The Ben Blackstock award was presented during the University of Central Oklahoma’s Media Ethics Conference. The theme of the conference was “Dying in Silence: The First Amendment’s Last Breath”.

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FOIOK.bsky.social @foiok.bsky.social · 22h

#foioklahoma By Kari King, kfor.com: The KFOR-TV newsroom was honored this week for its fight to protect the rights of journalists. Specifically, the right to attend open meetings in the state of Oklahoma.
kfor.com/news/local/k...

kfor.com

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FOIOK.bsky.social @foiok.bsky.social · 2d

/2 "Those who submitted them have the right to know we need to get that information to them," she said.

FOIOK.bsky.social @foiok.bsky.social · 2d

#foioklahoma By Olivia Hickey, koco.com: Thompson also noted that the board is committed to transparency, planning to address approximately 50 unfilled open records requests left from the previous administration.

Oklahoma Board of Education shifts focus with new leadership

Oklahoma's Board of Education, under interim Superintendent Lindel Fields, is addressing a backlog of issues left from the previous administration.

www.koco.com

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FOIOK.bsky.social @foiok.bsky.social · 2d

/2 … according to a letter a journalism legal group sent to school administrators this week.

FOIOK.bsky.social @foiok.bsky.social · 2d

#foioklahoma From oklahomavoice.com: Leaders of the state’s third-largest university have engaged in “egregiously anti-free speech conduct” in an effort to control media coverage by ending print operations of the student newspaper, …

Legal group accuses University of Central Oklahoma of free speech infringement with print shutdown • Oklahoma Voice

Leaders of the state’s third-largest university have engaged in “egregiously anti-free speech conduct” in an effort to control media coverage by ending print operations of the student newspaper.

oklahomavoice.com

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FOIOK.bsky.social @foiok.bsky.social · 3d

#foioklahoma By Haley Hetrick, newson6.com: Phase Three (30 to 90 Days): Review ongoing lawsuits, assess vendor contracts, process outstanding open records requests, and address organizational misalignments within the agency.

Lindel Fields outlines 15-month plan to “calm the waters” in Oklahoma education

New State Superintendent Lindel Fields unveiled a 15-month plan to “calm the waters” in Oklahoma education, focusing on literacy, teacher retention, and restoring trust through transparency and collab...

www.newson6.com

FOIOK.bsky.social @foiok.bsky.social · 5d

/2 Under Walters, the agency’s communications office often did not respond to media queries and the agency developed a reputation for slow responses to open-records requests, if any response came at all. The attorney general’s office publicly scolded the agency for the latter.

FOIOK.bsky.social @foiok.bsky.social · 5d

#foioklahoma By Murray Evans, oklahoman.com: During Walters’ tenure from January 2023 through September 2025, six people served as the agency’s primary spokesperson.

New superintendent Lindel Fields tells Oklahoma parents 'we must hold fast to kindness'

New state schools Superintendent Lindel Fields has sent an electronic letter to Oklahoma parents, one with a conciliatory and hopeful tone.

www.oklahoman.com

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FOIOK.bsky.social @foiok.bsky.social · 7d

#foioklahoma By Erin Christy, kjrh.com: Oklahoma spent more than half a million dollars to one company to clean up homeless camps during the state-led “Operation SAFE,” 2 News learned this based on records obtained by the Oklahoma Department of Transportation.

Cleanup crew bills state $500k+ for Operation SAFE

ODOT tells 2 News it has a number of environmental cleanup contractors that are closer in location, but because of the “rapid response,” they needed one with immediate availability.

www.kjrh.com

FOIOK.bsky.social @foiok.bsky.social · 8d

/2 … [but] citing that the state’s Open Records Act did not bind them.

“The OSBI will be releasing information about the shooting,” Sigmon said.

Once the OSBI investigation is completed, he said the officers’ names can be released.

FOIOK.bsky.social @foiok.bsky.social · 8d

#foioklahoma By Sheila Stogsdill, fourstateshomepage.com: Miami Police Chief Stephen Sigmon said the Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation is handling the officer shooting investigation, and the state agency could not release the names of the officers, …

www.fourstateshomepage.com

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FOIOK.bsky.social @foiok.bsky.social · 9d

/2 A federal judge signed a temporary order granting KFOR meeting access, and in December, facilitated a settlement that ensured KFOR could continue to cover meetings. Walters and his former spokesman were later ordered to reimburse the plaintiffs $170,000 in attorneys’ fees.

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FOIOK.bsky.social @foiok.bsky.social · 9d

#foioklahoma By Jennifer Palmer, oklahomawatch.org: Among the lawsuits was one filed by NexStar and KFOR-TV over access to public Board of Education meetings, one of many run-ins Walters had in his highly contentious relationship with state media.

Dozens of Lawsuits and Hundreds of TV Appearances: A Look Back at Superintendent Walters Tenure - Oklahoma Watch

Ryan Walters grabbed headlines throughout his tenure as the state schools chief, racking up dozens of lawsuits over his controversial policies.

oklahomawatch.org

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FOIOK.bsky.social @foiok.bsky.social · 10d

/2 Panelists and moderators include Corey Jones, Susan Cadot, William Hickman, Elanie Steyn, Jerry Goodwin, LP.D, MBA, Barbara "Bob" Allen, Megan Cox, Ph.D., Sarah McLaughlin, Jenni Carlson and Jason Collington.

FOIOK.bsky.social @foiok.bsky.social · 10d

#foioklahoma The UCO Media Ethics Conference is Tuesday, Oct. 7, at the University of Central Oklahoma in Edmond. More info here:
ucomediaethicscon.carrd.co#scrollpoint01

2025 Uco Media Ethics Conference

This site provides general information about the UCO Media Ethics Conference 2025, including event details, schedule, speakers

ucomediaethicscon.carrd.co

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FOIOK.bsky.social @foiok.bsky.social · 10d

/2 The Frontier reported the story after the Tulsa Fraternal Order of Police went to court to unsuccessfully try to keep the news organization from obtaining years’ worth of police disciplinary records.

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FOIOK.bsky.social @foiok.bsky.social · 10d

#foioklahoma By Ashlynd Huffman, readfrontier.org: The Tulsa Police Department has disciplined six officers after incidents where they were suspected of driving under the influence since 2016, a Frontier investigation has found.

Five things to know about The Frontier’s investigation into Tulsa police officers suspected of driving under the influence

We got the officer disciplinary records that the Tulsa police union didn’t want the public to see.

www.readfrontier.org

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FOIOK.bsky.social @foiok.bsky.social · 11d

/2 We’ll hear from Sarah McLaughlin with the Foundation for Individual Rights in Education (FIRE). She will speak on the global connections related to freedom of expression.

FOIOK.bsky.social @foiok.bsky.social · 11d

#foioklahoma Join us as we gather to understand the threats and our responsibility to maintain First Amendment freedoms. The First Amendment Congress features speakers who are dedicated to the importance of the Constitutional right of free expression.
www.foioklahoma.org/events

Events — Freedom of Information Oklahoma

www.foioklahoma.org

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FOIOK.bsky.social @foiok.bsky.social · 11d

#foioklahoma By Lauren Henry, kfor.com: In a complaint to the State Department of Education’s Human Resources Department, London listed the last-minute review as having led to a violation of the Open Meeting Act and was a cause for the cancellation of a March board meeting.

kfor.com

FOIOK.bsky.social @foiok.bsky.social · 12d

#foioklahoma By Ashlynd Huffman, readfrontier.org: The Frontier filed a request under the Oklahoma Open Records Act with the police department for officer disciplinary records in March, but the Tulsa police union went to court to keep many documents secret.
www.readfrontier.org/stories/tuls...

Tulsa police disciplined six officers suspected of driving drunk, some weren’t criminally charged

Most officers suspected of driving under the influence received suspensions ranging from three to 16 days, records the Tulsa police union tried to keep secret show.

www.readfrontier.org

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FOIOK.bsky.social @foiok.bsky.social · 15d

#foioklahoma The Brechner Report: September
The Brechner Report is a monthly newsletter summarizing developments in open meetings and public records laws. Other media law topics covered include access to courts and court records.
mailchi.mp/jou.ufl.edu/...

FOIOK.bsky.social @foiok.bsky.social · 16d

/3 One lawmaker, state Rep. Jacob Rosecrants, D-Norman, had planned to be at Thursday's meeting, but said he'd changed his mind after learning about the lack of an executive session.

"My thoughts are he knows we're watching, and he wants to do things in the dark," said Rosecrants.

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