Republican candidate says district had no role in filming and that issue has been resolved
OKLAHOMA CITY — Republican candidate for state superintendent James Taylor said Saturday that his campaign removed social media videos filmed in his classroom after Little Axe Public Schools objected to the posts and said they improperly used school resources.
The exchange unfolded in separate Facebook posts Saturday by the school district and Taylor’s campaign.
In a public statement, Little Axe Superintendent Jay Thomas said the district learned that an employee who is running for state office had posted multiple campaign advertisements using school resources, including a school classroom. Thomas said the activity occurred without the knowledge or permission of district administrators and cited Oklahoma State School Boards Association guidance stating that employees who are candidates may not use district resources related to their campaigns or promote their candidacies on district time.
The district said it had repeatedly requested that the campaign remove the posts and emphasized that Little Axe Public Schools does not endorse any candidate for public office. Thomas said the district would continue taking appropriate measures to ensure the campaign posts were removed.
Taylor responded later Saturday, saying he instructed his campaign team to remove the video after receiving an email from his superintendent expressing concerns about the content.
“I want to set the record straight,” Taylor said in a statement. “I take full responsibility for the content that was posted and at no point did Little Axe Public Schools have anything to do with my filming in the school.”
Taylor also said there was “no intent to misuse school resources or distract from the important work being done in our classrooms” and said the issue had been resolved. He said the campaign removed the video before learning the district had already issued its public statement.
Taylor faces Robert Franklin in the Aug. 25 Republican runoff for state superintendent. The winner will advance to the Nov. 3 general election.
