A Massachusetts man, Owen Thomas Cunningham, 48, has been indicted by a Multi-County Grand Jury in Oklahoma for allegedly impersonating former State Superintendent Ryan Walters. Cunningham is accused of sending letters to school superintendents in August 2024 directing them to distribute documents to students under Walters’s name, as per the Oklahoma Attorney General's Office release.
The Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation uncovered the scheme after Walters denied involvement. Cunningham faces a charge of False Personation of a Public Officer, a misdemeanor punishable by up to six months in county jail, a fine up to $2,000, or both. He is presumed innocent until proven guilty.
The case has prompted school officials to be more cautious when reviewing communications claiming to be from public offices.
