OKLAHOMA CITY — Former state Superintendent Ryan Walters’ chief of staff, who faced accusations of creating a hostile work environment, is gone from the Oklahoma State Department of Education.
The agency confirmed Thursday morning the departure of Matt Mohler, who joined Walters’ administration in January after moving from Florida. Several senior staff exitsensued in the months since Mohler’s hiring.
Mohler’s exit comes as new state Superintendent Lindel Fields takes over the Education Department and brings in his own administrative team. After Walters resigned Sept. 30, Gov. Kevin Stitt appointed Fields to finish the final 15 months of the state superintendent’s term.
Stitt’s former chief of staff, Tom Newell, will take on the same title in Fields’ administration, said Tara Thompson, an agency spokesperson.
“I can confirm that Matt Mohler is no longer an OSDE employee,” Thompson said. “Staffing decisions are not made lightly, but because this is a personnel issue, I am not able to share further details.”
Mohler declined to comment to Oklahoma Voice.
It wasn’t immediately clear Thursday if he received severance pay.
The former secretary of the Oklahoma State Board of Education, Amy London, complained to the Education Department’s human resources office in June about Mohler’s conduct, according to a copy of her complaint that she provided to Oklahoma Voice.
London alleged Mohler and one of his assistants had created a “disruptive and hostile work environment” and undercut her job duties.
She said Mohler instructed her not to communicate with the state Board of Education until 24 hours before the board’s monthly meetings. That left the board with limited time to review hundreds of pages of information before casting votes.
London then filed a workplace discrimination complaint with the federal Equal Employment Opportunity Commission about her treatment at the agency. Walters’ administration fired her less than a week after she made the federal complaint.
She took the first step toward filing a lawsuit over her firing by submitting a demand for $100,000 from the agency last month.
London said she is grateful Mohler is no longer working at the Education Department.
“Mohler’s conduct raised ongoing concerns and consistently did not reflect the values or priorities of Oklahomans,” London said Thursday.
