This blog originally appeared at THEM.
Ron Causby was deemed ineligible for a position at Owasso Public Schools — the school district where Nex Benedict attends — due to advocating violence against transgender individuals.
Ryan Walters, the Oklahoma State Superintendent of Public Instruction, has come under renewed scrutiny for his anti-transgender stance following the recent passing of Nex Benedict. A fresh report from Media Matters for America has linked Walters to a far-right podcaster who advocated violence against transgender youth.
According to the nonprofit media watchdog, Walters, known for his staunch anti-trans beliefs and advocacy for Christianity in educational settings, was elected in 2022 with considerable support from Ron “The Real Ron Ron” Causby, an Oklahoma podcaster and social media figure. Causby, who claims a close relationship with Walters, had actively supported Walters’ 2022 campaign, hosting various events including a meet-and-greet and a summer barbecue at his home. However, Media Matters discovered that Causby himself had faced rejection from positions as a school bus driver and substitute teacher due in part to his podcast’s violent rhetoric targeting transgender individuals.
Emails from January 2022, obtained by Media Matters and shared by Causby on his Facebook page, revealed that Causby was turned down for roles at Owasso Public Schools, the same district attended by Nex Benedict. This decision was influenced by Causby’s inflammatory anti-trans statements on social media and his podcast “Loud Mouths.” Causby had openly expressed on his podcast that he permitted his daughter to physically confront any transgender student using school facilities and insisted that transgender children should “legitimately” use restrooms, as highlighted in a speech to the Owasso school board.
In an internal email dated January 20, Superintendent Dr. Margaret Coates expressed concerns about Causby potentially encountering a transgender student while serving as a substitute teacher. Despite this rejection, Causby’s event supporting Ryan Walters, organized by the right-wing group Tulsa Parents Voice, went ahead the following month.
Causby’s legal issues further compounded the controversy, with his arrest and subsequent charges of burglary and stalking against his ex-wife in August of the previous year. These charges were later dismissed.
Walters had previously faced criticism for his anti-trans remarks in light of Nex Benedict’s tragic passing, attributing Benedict’s death to a bullying incident in an Owasso High School bathroom. In response, Walters accused “the left” and unspecified media outlets of distorting facts to advance a political agenda, asserting his unwavering stance against perceived “woke mobs.”
Prior to the tragedy in Owasso, Walters faced criticism for appointing Chaya Raichik, a non-Oklahoma resident and founder of the controversial anti-trans propaganda network “Libs of TikTok,” to a state advisory committee on school libraries. Raichik has been linked to numerous schools across the U.S. experiencing bomb threats and death threats shortly after being featured on Libs of TikTok. Although she denies responsibility for any violence, Raichik has posted photos of herself on X (formerly Twitter), seemingly pleased by reports linking her to the threats. (Causby has dismissed such threats as “fake,” as noted by Media Matters.)
According to Oklahoma Representative Mauree Turner, the first openly nonbinary person to hold state office in the U.S., Walters and Raichik’s rhetoric endangers transgender and gender-nonconforming youth in multiple ways. Turner expressed this concern in an interview with MSNBC on Sunday, questioning why anyone would seek political office that exposes children to hate and bigotry.
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