Oklahoma City, OK — After officials blocked reporters from attending state government proceedings, Oklahoma’s oldest television station has now secured a major victory for press freedom, reaching a settlement that ensures its reporters will have full access to state education meetings and officials. The win also includes a court-ordered permanent injunction that bars officials from ever repeating the behavior that led to the lawsuit.
The agreement resolves the First Amendment lawsuit filed by the Institute for Free Speech and local counsel Bob Nelon of Hall Estill on behalf of three reporters and their employer, the owner of Oklahoma City television station KFOR-TV, against Oklahoma Superintendent of Public Instruction Ryan Walters and Press Secretary Dan Isett. The settlement guarantees KFOR equal access to State Board of Education meetings, press conferences, and other media events.
“This settlement vindicates the fundamental principle that government officials cannot declare themselves the arbiters of ‘truth,’ or pick and choose which news outlets cover their activities based on how favorable the reporting is,” said Institute for Free Speech Senior Attorney Charles “Chip” Miller. “The First Amendment protects the right of journalists to gather and report news, even—or especially—when the coverage scrutinizes government officials and holds them accountable to the public.”
The agreement requires the Oklahoma State Department of Education to restore KFOR’s access to board meetings, press conferences, and media events. It also mandates KFOR’s inclusion in all press distribution lists and advance notifications of department activities. Additionally, the department agreed to re-establish a media line for journalists to attend board meetings.
“This settlement means that KFOR can continue doing what we’ve done for 75 years: keeping Oklahomans well-informed about their state government,” said Dylan Brown, a KFOR reporter who was previously barred from reporting by Walters and Isett. “If the press freedom enshrined in the First Amendment means anything, it’s that our ability to cover issues of public concern shouldn’t depend on whether government officials dislike our reporting.”
The case began in September 2024 when KFOR filed suit after being repeatedly denied access to board meetings and press conferences, sometimes being physically prevented from entering meeting spaces. The station secured an early victory when a federal judge granted a temporary restraining order, thoroughly rejecting officials’ rationale for excluding KFOR. In granting the TRO, the judge noted that the officials’ arguments were “little more than a ruse, masking an effort to punish a news organization for its editorial stance.”
Now, that news organization and its reporters have secured a final victory that restores their First Amendment rights to full strength, while also restoring the public’s ability to be informed.
To read the full settlement order in the case, Nexstar Media, Inc. d/b/a KFOR-TV et al. v. Ryan Walters, et al., click here. For more information about the case, including client photos for media use, visit our case page here.
About the Institute for Free Speech
The Institute for Free Speech promotes and defends the political speech rights to freely speak, assemble, publish, and petition the government guaranteed by the First Amendment.
