Oklahoma Drag Queen School Principal Resigns After Social Media Outrage, Walters Says

OKLAHOMA CITY (CITC) — The principal of an Oklahoma elementary school with a background as a drag queen resigned following online outrage over his employment, Oklahoma State Superintendent Ryan Walters confirmed to Crisis in the Classroom (CITC).

In June, the Western Heights School District (WHSD) hired Dr. Shane Murnan to serve as principal of John Glenn Elementary School. The district announced via Facebook at the time it was “aware of previous charges that were dismissed more than 20 years ago.”

Social media posts later surfaced alleging Murnan had previously faced child pornography charges.

In September, popular social media account Libs of TikTok connected Murnan to a drag queen by the name of “Shantel Mandalay.” The revelation drew the ire of Walters, who decried it as “unacceptable” and called for Murnan’s removal.

In a statement to CITC Friday, Walters called Murnan’s resignation “a necessary step to protect kids in Oklahoma.”

“I demanded the school take action and fire a drag queen who not only engaged in the most inappropriate and sexually charged events imaginable, but he also used social media to recruit students,” Walters told CITC. “Our students will be protected from predatory behavior, and I have been crystal clear that I will not allow Oklahoma schools to become a training ground in drag queen propaganda.”

In a video shared to X, the platform formerly known as Twitter, Walters thanked Libs of TikTok founder Chaya Raichik for “uncover[ing]” the information about Murnan. Walters appointed Raichik to Oklahoma’s Library Media Advisory Committee last week, saying she has a “powerful voice” and “tremendous platform that will benefit Oklahoma students and their families.”

In the wake of the posts regarding Murnan last summer, WHSD began receiving waves of threats, forcing the school district to hire extra security and instruct Murnan to work off-site most days. The district later placed him on paid administrative leave, costing the district an additional $65,000.

WHSD did not respond to repeated requests for comment from CITC Friday.